Zootopia: While We're Young
by Dizzie HamHam Writer
Summary: An AU story of Nick and Judy meeting each other as kids. Judy Hopps, a little bunny from the small town of Bunnyburrow and Nick Wilde, a little fox from the huge city of Zootopia. As Judy prepares for her play for the Talent Show, Nick's family plans their first trip outside of the city. So what happens when that trip is at the town of Bunnyburrow? Proofread by Batzz.
1. Chapter 1: The Bunny and the Fox

**Another Zootopia fanfic? I really love Zootopia too much. So recently, I did an AU story on what would happen if Nick and Judy met as kids. But I liked the idea so much that I say "What the heck? Let's just make it a whole thing." Let's face it, both Nick and Judy were adorable when they were kids. So a few things before we start the story. Nick will still be living in Zootopia, while Judy will still be living in Bunnyburrow. Nick will have both his mom and dad. If anyone has ever checked out some of the original concepts for Zootopia and things with Nick and his dad, they know what I'm talking about. I actually liked that and the Zistopia AU enough to use bits from it. For Judy, she will still start with being on the farm with her mom, dad, and 275 siblings. For this chapter, the story will start a day before the talent show. Judy is handling her final preparations for little play, while Nick and his parents are planning to have their first trip outside of the city. I'm really excited to start this story. I don't know how long this is gonna be, but I know it's gonna be longer than 7 chapters. So, let's get things started.**

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Zootopia is owned by Disney.

 _When someone meets another person that is important to them, is it a random meeting or is it fate? This could be said about the relationship of a rabbit named Judy Hopps and a cunning fox named Nick Wilde. Working together, the two were able to save the city of Zootopia. But... what if the meeting of Nick and Judy took places at a different time and a different place? What if... Nick and Judy met each other when they were young little kids? How would the two affect each other's lives? Let's change things a bit and find out, shall we?_

Inside a nice big house in Bunnyburrow lived a huge family of bunnies. In one of the rooms in the house, slept a little grey girl bunny along with 30 or so of her siblings sleeping in the same room with her. The little bunny woke up from her bed and stretched a bit. She looked up at the window and saw the sun shining. Meaning that it was morning. This little bunny was around the age of 9 and was currently wearing light blue-colored pajamas with little carrots. This little bunny went by the name Judy Hopps and was ready to take on the day.

Judy looked around the room and notice that all of the siblings were still asleep. Now normally, a good sister would wake them up and say "Come on, everyone. It's morning. Time to rise and shine." But when you have as many siblings as Judy has, you learn that it's every bunny for themselves. With that thought in mind, Judy quietly got out of her bed and slowly walked outside of the room. She quietly walked down the hallway, hoping none of her other brothers and sisters woke up yet.

"Okay. Looks like the coast is clear." Judy thought. At least that's what she thought until she heard the voice of her mother calling all of her children.

"KIDS! TIME FOR BREAKFAST!" Judy's mom shouted out.

"Uh oh!" Judy said looking worried.

At that moment, all the doors from the hallway started to open and her brothers and sisters came out the doors. Seeing this, Judy immediately started running. She knew if she didn't run, she would end up being the last person to get breakfast (if she actually gets anything). A few of her brothers and sisters got in front of her. Judy ran a little bit faster and then hopped off the walls to get ahead of her siblings. She then made her way down the stairs and slid on the railing. She then did one more dash to the dining hall and was able to be the first person sitting at the long table with hundreds of chairs. Many of Judy's other siblings sat down on some of the other chairs. Judy's mom, Bonnie, came over with a plate of blueberry pancakes and placed the plate in front of Judy.

"Good morning, children." Bonnie said. "You all know the rules. First come, first serve. Since Judy was the first here, she gets the first batch."

"Alright!" Judy shouted out happily.

The rest of Judy's siblings groaned in disappointment.

"Sorry, everyone. You snooze, you lose." Judy said smirking. She then cut a few of her pancakes and took a bite. She chews her pancakes with a look of joy on her face.

This was Judy's life every day. Living with her big family on the farm. Having to rush down the halls for every meal so she wouldn't be the last one fed. So you can say that living with so many other people can be a bit difficult. But what is it like for a person who doesn't have this problem?

From over 200 miles away was the city of Zootopia. A city where millions and millions of different mammals live together. In a nice little apartment house with a shop upfront lived a young little fox with his two parents. In a little bedroom, slept the little boy fox under the covers of his bed. The light from his windows hit near his eyes, making him begin to wake up. The young fox, around 9 years old, was wearing a white shirt with blue pajama bottoms. This young fox went by the name of Nick Wilde. Nick got out of his bed and went into the bathroom to start his morning routine. You know, brushing his teeth and his fur a bit. After that, he changed into a white baseball t-shirt with red sleeves and blue jeans. Nick was now ready for the day. He went downstairs to the dining table where three plates were set. Fixing breakfast in the kitchen was a vixen wearing purple dress jacket, red skirt, and a white beaded necklace. This was Nick's mom, Francine Wilde. Nick sat on one of the chairs near the table.

"Morning, mom." Nick said greeting his mother.

"Good morning, my sweet little boy." Francine said happily.

Nick looked around the kitchen and notice that someone was still missing at the table.

"Where's pop?" Nick asked.

"You know your father. He's always busy tailoring his suits." Francine said. "Go down to his 'workshop' and get him before his breakfast gets cold."

"Okay." Nick said.

Nick got out of his chair and walked down to the basement, AKA his father's workshop. The basement was filled with tons of suits and fabrics in all different kinds of sizes. Doing some stitching on the table was Nick's dad, John Wilde. A tall and suave looking fox wearing a green sweater vest with a red tie under it and white pants.

"Okay. Just a bit more here and there... and this so will be perfect." John said as he was stitching up a suit jacket.

"Hey, pop." Nick said greeting his father from behind.

"Oh. Well if it isn't Slick Nick." John said to his son. "What brings you here, son?"

"Mom says it's time for breakfast." Nick told him.

"Oh right. Guess my mind has been on my suits... again." John said while scratching the back of his head.

John Wilde is a tailor and owner of Wilde and Son, a small suit and tailoring shop. John wanted to make suits for all the mammals in Zootopia. Predator or prey, he wanted all mammals to dress in style. John was also quite an honest man. But being a fox, people who didn't know him didn't think he was trustworthy. But he didn't really pay any mind to that. He always kept his honest nature and had a wide smile. Nick loved his dad and was always curious about why he always made suits.

"Hey pop, why are you always making suits?" Nick asked.

"Simply put, it's because I want everyone to love them and look good in them." John said. "See, I always thought that even the scariest of predators can look nice in the right suit. Someday soon, I hope everyone in Zootopia knows about my suits."

"But... isn't it hard because we're foxes?" Nick asked.

"Naw. It just means that we need to work harder so others see us more than just foxes." John said patting his son's head. "Yet, some mammals don't see past our red fur and pair of chompers." John then picked up his son and made him sit on his lap. "So remember, always makes sure that others see you as more than just a fox."

"I will, pop." Nick said nodded.

"Good boy." John said patting Nick's head again.

The two then happen to hear a loud shout from Francine, who didn't sound too happy.

"JOHNATHAN WILDE AND NICHOLAS WILDE, GET UP HERE THIS INSTANCE!" Francine shouted.

"Ahh! Mom!" Nick said worriedly.

"Ah geez! When she uses full first AND last names, we're in trouble." John said a little scared. "Guess we better get up there for breakfast."

"Yes, sir." Nick said saluting.

John picked up his son and they went upstairs to get breakfast before Francine scorned them even more. At the table sat the Wilde family, each with a plate of blueberry pancakes and an assortment of fruits. Nick rapidly scarfed down his pancakes. This made Francine a little concerned.

"Nick, slow down." Francine said to Nick. "You don't have to eat so fast."

"Now now, dear. He's a growing boy." John said while sipping his coffee.

"I have to hurry." Nick said eating more of his pancakes.

"Hurry for what?" Francine said.

"It's a secret." Nick said.

"A secret, ay?" John said looking curious.

"Don't you think you should tell your parents?" Francine asked with a sly smile.

"Nope. Not saying a thing." Nick said firmly. Nick then finished his breakfast and got out of his chair getting ready to go in a hurry. "Okay, I'm heading out. See ya!"

"Be careful out there. Don't go out too long." Francine shouted out to Nick.

"Yeah. Yeah. I know. I'll be fine. Love you both. Bye!" Nick said putting on a red cap and walking out the door.

Nick walked outside of his house and was now on the streets of Zootopia. The city was always busy and many species walked the streets. Nick is always a friendly kid who would often greet everyone he passed with a quick "Hello!" or "How are you today?". Simply said, Nick loved living in the city. But one thing that Nick really loved was stopping by Junior Ranger Scouts Headquarters. Nick wanted nothing more than to be a part of the Ranger Scouts and join their pack. He always had the image of him wearing the uniform and standing all tall and proud in his head. But for now, that was just a dream.

"Someday soon, I'll join them." Nick said to himself as he walked away.

See, Nick doesn't really have many friends. It's not because he isn't good. It's just that being a fox makes it a bit difficult. Nick believes if he joins the Junior Ranger Scouts, he could finally have some friends and be a part of a group. Even if the Ranger Scouts had no predators, that didn't discourage Nick. Nick then continues to venture around the city.

Now, let's get back to Judy. After breakfast, Judy left her house holding a lot of supplies for something. She brought all she could to a big red barn in town. There were three other animals with her. A boy jaguar cub, a boy black cougar, and a little black sheep girl. There was a lot of stuff, included musical instruments, cardboard boxes, costumes, and some backgrounds on the stage. Judy seems to be the one directing everything.

"Okay, guys! The talent show is tomorrow. We have to get everything ready." Judy said to them.

"Don't worry, Judy. We'll get everything finished before then." The sheep said sounding hopeful.

"Umm... Judy? My costume is a tiger. I'm a jaguar." The jaguar said holding his costume.

"A tiger costume was all they had. You'll have to deal with it." Judy told him.

"You do know the difference between a tiger and a jaguar, right?" The jaguar asked.

"One has spots and the other has stripes?" Judy asked.

"It's more than that." The jaguar stated firmly.

"Yeah... well now's not the time to discuss that." Judy said. "Just deal with the costume."

"Fine..." The jaguar said looking a bit disappointed.

"I'm okay with whatever." The cougar said. "Just as long as I get to show off my music skills." The cougar then grabbed some drumsticks and started to beat on his drum a few times.

"Now... let's review what we are gonna do for our play again." Judy said. "I tell the story about how mammals were savage centuries ago. Then Kyle, you pounce and attack me. Then I scream and shout out 'BLOOD! BLOOOOD! BLOOOODDDD!' and throw these ribbons up." Judy then threw some red ribbons in the air. "Then I fall down to the ground and squirt out this ketchup and... DEATH." Judy then pretending to be dead. "Bobby, that's your cue to play the drum."

"Right." Bobby said before playing the drum a bit.

"Next, I'll explain how back in then mammals were divided into two groups. Prey and Predators. Then the boxes come down and we change into these robes." Judy said getting back up. "Then Sharla, you do some of your dancing as I explain over time we evolved."

"It was the thing I was born to do." Sharla said happily as she twirls around.

"Then after that, we all switch to the costumes of the things we want to be when we grow up." Judy said. "Sharla as an Astronaut, Kyle as an Actuary, and me as a Police Officer."

"You SURE you want to be a Police Officer when you grow up?" Kyle asked. "I mean… you're a bunny and being a cop isn't…" Before he could finish what he was about to say, Judy gave him an angry glare. He admittedly stopped talking after that. "Uhhh... nevermind."

"Being a police officer may be a hard line of work, but it's not impossible." Judy said. "That and I want to be a cop to help make the world a better place."

"If that's what you really want..." Kyle said shrugging.

"You go for it, Judy." Sharla said being supportive.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Just one more thing." Judy said.

Judy then happily skipped to a large cardboard drawing and used a crayon to add some finishing touches to it. The drawing was the huge city, Zootopia.

"Done!" Judy shouted out happily and putting down the crayon. Her friends all looked at the drawing as well. "Check it out, everyone. Zootopia. The city where anyone can be anything."

Judy always hoped that one day she would go to Zootopia. She wanted nothing more than to grow up and be a cop and keep the streets of Zootopia safe. Even if others didn't support her, she was willing to go as far as her dream could take her.

Now, let's get back to Zootopia. Nick has just finished walking around Downtown Zootopia and went back home. He went into the living room, where his mom was watching tv and his dad was just reading the newspaper on his chair.

"Hey, mom! Hey, pop! I'm back." Nick said greeting his parents.

"Nick! Did you enjoy your walk around the city?" John asked.

"Don't I always?" Nick said as he walks to the couch and sits on it. "Everyone here in the city is always so lively."

"Well, I hope you've been a good boy." Francine said.

"Of course. Can't be bad, right?" Nick said with a smile.

"So son... there's actually something that we wanted to tell you." Francine said to Nick.

"What is it?" Nick asked.

"Well... the three of us haven't really gone out in a while, so your mother and I decided that we should have a little trip tomorrow." John said.

"A trip? Awesome!" Nick said sounding excited. "Where to? Tundratown? The Meadowlands? Sahara Square?"

"Actually... the place we had in mine is a bit different." Francine said. "The place we plan to go to is actually outside of the city."

"Outside of the city?" Nick said tilting his head. Nick has lived in Zootopia all his life. There are still parts of the city he hasn't gone to yet. But going somewhere OUTSIDE of the city was something very new to him.

"Just a small town about 200 miles from here called Bunnyburrow." John said.

"Bunnyburrow?" Nick said with a look of curiosity.

 **And so... the Wilde Family are planning to go to Bunnyburrow. A family of foxes going to visit a town filled with mostly bunnies? How is that gonna work out? You'll have to find out in the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2: A Fated Meeting?

**Here comes chapter 2. Okay first, two things. One, I already know about the original age different between Nick and Judy in the movie. That's why this story is an AU. As in Alternate Universe. This story is just a "What if Nick and Judy were the same age at the same time?" thing. Since this is a fanfic, I thought it would go without saying. But I decided to say it anyway so people get it. Second, if anyone read the story from "Nick x Judy One-Shots", this is pretty much the same thing. But, I added and changed a thing or two. For this chapter, Nick and his parents have just arrived in Bunnyburrow and it's the same day as the fair and the Talent Show. Let's see what happens next.**

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Bunnyburrow. A small town filled with an ever-growing population of bunnies. But that doesn't mean only bunnies live there or mammals of others species didn't visit it. This includes a small family of foxes from the city of Zootopia. This family of foxes was the Wilde family. John, Francine, and Nick took the train from Zootopia to get to Bunnyburrow. They had just arrived and are currently walking around town. Nick was behind his mother and holding her paw, looking a bit nervous.

"Mom, pop, are you sure it's okay for us to be here?" Nick asked his folks.

"Now now, dear. Don't be afraid." Francine told Nick. "Mammals like us need to experience other places outside of our little city."

"Your mother's right, son." John said. "It's true that there are a lot of bunnies here and we are all foxes, but that doesn't mean we can't get along. We just need to show them that we mean no harm."

"Okay." Nick said.

Nick still held onto his mom's paw, but stopped hiding behind her. He even started to smile a bit. The family then noticed a spot in town where there was a lot of booths. They also noticed that there were a lot of mammals there. It made Nick and his parents really curious.

"Hey! What's over there?" Nick asked.

"Huh. Looks like some little fair." John said noticing all the booths.

"Can we go check it out?" Nick asked looking excited.

"Should we, Johnny?" Francine asked.

"I don't see why not, Frankie." John said smiling. "We are here to experience other places after all. It would be a shame if we didn't see everything that this town has to offer."

"Yay!" Nick said cheerfully.

So the Wildes went to see what the booths were all about. Turns out, it was an fair. The Carrot Days Festival. There were games, food, and small rides. It also seems to invite anyone even if they were out of town. So long as they paid for admission. After paying for admission, the Wilde family walked around the festival. Nick seemed to be in awe with all the booths. This is the first time Nick has ever been to a festival before. One of these booths sell this delicious little candies that Nick had tried a few of. There was also a booth of balloons-n-darts, a booth with a ring toss, carrot products, and many more. But what really made Nick curious was looking up at the big red barn nearby that had a huge sign that said "Talent Show Today".

"Talent show?" Nick said tilting his head.

"They did say that a school here helped sponsored the Festival. Guess the school is also doing a talent show with some of the kids." Francine stated.

"Interesting." John said. "I say we should check it out. See the talents that the kids in this town have."

"I was just about to say that, pop." Nick said. Nick then grabbed both his parents paws and started walking to the barn. "Come on. Come on. Let's go. Let's go."

"Hey! Easy Nicky." John said.

"Your father and I aren't as youthful as you are." Francine said.

So they went into the barn to see the Talent Show. There were mostly bunnies inside the barn and it was pretty crowded, but the Wildes were able to get seats. They stayed to watch a few of the acts. But one really surprised them. It's was a play by a certain little bunny. It was, of course, Judy.

"BLOOOOOD! BLOOOD! BLOOODDD!" Judy shouted throwing a bunch of red ribbons in the air. She then laid down pretending that she was dying. She then reached out for a ketchup bottle and started squirting it over herself and the floor. "Gaahh! AND... DEATH..." She said as she squirted the bottle one more time.

Judy's family seem to have... mixed feeling about that act. The same could be said about the Wilde family.

"Oh my..." Francine said looking a bit stunned.

Nick and John, however, were both trying hard not to laugh at the bunny's overacting. Francine notices this and gives out a big "Ahem!" and the two stopped laughing immediately. They then continue to watch Judy's play.

"Back then, the world was divided in two. Vicious predator and meek prey." Judy said. Boxes then flew over and landed near the jaguar and the bunny. "But over time, we evolved... and moved beyond our primitive savage ways." As Judy said that, a little black sheep wearing a white robe did some dancing and threw some petals in the air. The boxes were now lifted up and both the jaguar cub and bunny were also wearing white robes. "Now predator and prey live in harmony."

Nick smiled a little bit at the fact that she mentioned predators and prey living in harmony. It seems that the bunny was just as optimistic as he is. Judy went on about how young mammals have multiple opportunities. The black sheep, Sharla, said she wanted to be an astronaut. The jaguar, Kyle, said he was gonna be an actuary. But the thing that really surprised Nick was what Judy she wanted to be.

"And I can make the world a better place. I am going to be..." Judy said. She then ripped off the robe and revealed a blue t-shirt with a gold badge. "... A POLICE OFFICER!"

Nick's eyes widen as he heard that.

"A... police officer?" Nick said looking surprised.

"A bunny who wants to be a police officer?" Francine said also looking surprised.

"This little bunny has some big ambitions." John said looking a bit impressed.

"Hmm." Nick said started to smirk a bit. He then happens to hear some laughter from one of the kids. He looked at the crowd to see who it was and saw a fox kid in overalls was the one doing all the laughter.

"Hahaha! A bunny cop! That is the most stupidest thing I ever heard." The fox boy said insulting Judy.

Nick wasn't too happy to hear that boy's comment. Let alone liked the fact that he was a fox like him. It was like he was starting to send his species name down in the dirt. He then started growling in anger. Francine petted his head to calm him down and he did. Judy then continues to talk.

"It may seem impossible to small minds. I'm looking at you, Gideon Grey." Judy said looking at the fox.

Gideon didn't seem to happy about being called small minded. Nick started to laugh a bit again. He like that fact the bunny could stand up for herself, even to a fox.

"But just 211 miles away stands the great city of Zootopia..." Judy said.

"Zootopia? That's where we're from." Nick stated to his folks.

"Where our ancestors first joined together in peace and declared... anyone can be ANYTHING." Judy shouted happily.

It seems like that was the end of the play. The audience clapped a bit, including Nick's family. A few minutes later, Nick and his parents left the barn and were currently all eating some cotton candy (it was blueberry flavored).

"I really liked that bunny girl's play." Nick said while eating some more of his cotton candy.

"What did you like about it?" Francine asked her son.

"Well... I like what she said about predators and prey living in harmony now and the part about Zootopia, where anyone can be anything." Nick said.

"I liked that too. The little bunny has some pretty big dreams." John said.

"Hey pop? Is it... possible for a bunny to become a cop?" Nick asked.

"Of course it is." John said pridefully.

"But... how come there aren't any bunny cops in Zootopia?" Nick asked.

"Simply put, it's one of two reasons." John said taking a bite out of the cotton candy. "One is the fact that bigger species don't think a rabbit is cut out for that line of work. You know, the big idiots."

"Johnny..." Francine said not wanting her husband to call officers idiots.

"The second is that no rabbit has actually been brave enough to try." John said. "It's because of that, some mammals only see them as these little fuzzballs." John then walked over to his son and lean down and petted his head. "Remember this Nick, some mammals have to work twice as hard... or even more than that to make others see them differently. It only takes one mammal to stand up for their species. Only then... can other species grow as a whole." John then stopped petting Nick and got back up. "Do you understand, son?"

"Yeah. I think I do." Nick said. He then finished his cotton candy and put the cone on a trash can nearby. "Mom! Pop! Is it okay if I go out on my own for a while?" Nick asked them. "I want to see if I can find some kids my age to talk to."

"Sure. Go on ahead." John said leaning his arm on Francine.

"Just don't go too far, okay? We'll be leaving soon." Francine said.

"Yes, ma'am." Nick said.

So Nick went out on his own and walked around to look for some kids his age to talk to. The problem was since he was a fox, most bunnies might be afraid of him. But that wasn't gonna discourage him. As he walked by the booth, he stopped when he noticed a few kids near the cornfields. Two sheep, a weasel, a bunny, and a fox. He then remembers that it was the same fox, Gideon from the barn. Nick then stayed by behind a tree as he watched them. It seems like Gideon was bullying the kids and taking the black sheep girl's, Sharla from the play, tickets from her. Nick was getting mad at the sight of this. He was about to go over there and give Gideon a piece of his mind, but then he sees someone else came over there.

"Hey! Cut it out!" The voice said.

Nick looked to see it was none other than the same bunny girl from the play early. Judy. He was surprised to see her standing up to Gideon again.

"Nice costume, loser. What kind of crazy world do you live in believing a bunny can be a cop?" Gideon said as he walks closer to the bunny. But she didn't seem scared.

"Kindly return my friend's tickets." Judy said firmly.

"Come and get 'em." Gideon said to her. "But watch out, cause I'm a fox and like you said in your dumb play, us predators used to eat prey and that killer instinct still in our DNNAR."

"I'm pretty sure it's pronounced DNA." The weasel said.

"Don't tell me what I know, Travis." Gideon said to the weasel.

"You don't scare me, Gideon." Judy said keeping calm.

Gideon then pushed Judy down to the ground. The bunny's friends ran away to stay away from the fight. Nick anger started to rise as he saw that. Judy started to look scared and her nose started twitching. Gideon started mocking her.

"You gonna cry, little bunny?" Gideon said laughing.

Judy then kicked Gideon in the face with both of her feet. Her friends were surprised that she did that. Nick kinda cheered her on from the tree. Gideon felt his left cheek and was not looking too happy.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Gideon said getting his claws out.

"Ahh!" Judy shouted in fear.

Gideon was now about to claw Judy on her face. But at that moment when he was about to strike, someone was holding on to his right arm.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" The voice shouted.

Gideon, Judy, and the others looked to see who it was. It was Nick. Nick stopped Gideon from hurting Judy. Nick also had a pretty angry look on his face.

"What did you say?" Gideon said to Nick.

"You heard me. Knock it off." Nick said before growling a bit.

Judy was stunned to see a fox stand up to another fox for her. The idea of a fox standing up for a bunny just seemed kinda... hard to believe. Gideon was getting pretty mad now. Not at Judy, but at Nick.

"Who are you suppose to be?" Gideon asked the other fox.

"Does it really matter? All you need to know is that I'm a fox like you." Nick told him. "But unlike you, I don't go bullying bunnies."

"You are defending HER? But she's just a dumb bunny." Gideon said. "Us foxes are above bunnies like her."

"She's not a dumb bunny. But looking at you, you are DEFINITELY a dumb fox." Nick said. "Just because we're foxes, doesn't mean we have to treat bunnies or other mammals like their beneath us. It's foxes like you that give us GOOD foxes a bad rep."

"Are you picking a fight with me?" Gideon said at Nick with his claws still out. Nick wasn't fazed by Gideon at all.

"Of course not. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you hurt her." Nick said. "So... I'm gonna give you a choice."

"A choice?" Gideon said looking confused.

"Prove me wrong." Nick said. "Leave the bunny and her friends alone and walk away. BUT... if you lay even a SINGLE claw on her, then I will lay all my claws on you. And don't forget..." Nick then got out his claws. "I'm a fox too. So we are both on an even playing field."

The two foxes angrily stared down at each other. Everyone watching was scared to find out what would happen next. After a few seconds, Gideon decided to back down.

"Tch!" Gideon said retracting his claws back. "Travis, let's get out of here."

"Ri... right!" Travis said.

"You better hope our path don't cross again, pal." Gideon said at Nick poking at his chest. He then looked at Judy, who was still down on the ground. "And you. You're never gonna be anything more than a dumb carrot farmer."

With that said, Gideon and Travis left them. Nick stuck out his tongue at Gideon as he walked away. Nick then walked over to Judy and offer her his paw.

"Please don't be afraid. Let me help you up." Nick said to Judy.

She still seems surprised that a fox wanted to help her. But he seems nice enough. So she accepted his paw and Nick helped her up.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked her.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Judy said as she brushes the dirt off her clothes.

Nick then grabbed Judy's police cap and brush off the dust off of it. He then gave it back to her.

"Here you go." Nick said.

"Thanks." Judy said putting her hat back on. "Why... did you help me?"

"Did I really needed a reason to? It's because you needed help." Nick said. "That other fox was such a jerk. He's the kind of fox that drags other foxes names down in the dirt." Nick then noticed that the bunny's friends were still hiding behind the tree. "Uhhh... are your friends still gonna hide behind that tree?"

"Oh. You guys can come out now." Judy said. "It's okay. This fox is nice."

Judy's friends came from behind the tree to her and Nick.

"Judy, are you alright?" The white boy sheep asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Judy responded.

"That was awesome how you stood up to Gideon." Sharla said.

"Not as awesome as this fox over here." Judy said pointing at Nick. "He wasn't scared even once."

"Oh. That... was nothing. Really." Nick said scratching the tip of his nose. "Honestly, I was a bit scared myself. It was only because he was a fox too that I was able to stand up to him. I didn't really want to fight him. I was only lucky that he decided to ran off."

"But still, you were brave enough to stand up to Gideon. That's more than any of us could ever do." The other little bunny girl said.

Nick didn't know how to respond to being called brave. It kinda made him blush a bit. Then he remembered something.

"Oh wait! That Gideon guy still has your tickets." Nick realized. "I have to go get them back from him."

"That won't be necessary." Judy said.

Judy then took out the tickets from behind her. This surprised everyone, including Nick.

"My tickets!" Sharla said happily getting her tickets back.

"How did you..." Nick said looking surprised.

"I took them from him when he wasn't looking." Judy said smirking. "Right about, when you showed up."

"Thanks, Judy." Sharla said happily.

"Pretty sly for a bunny." Nick said with a smirk.

"Guess coming from a fox, that's a pretty nice compliment." Judy said smirking as well.

"I should introduce myself. My name is Nick." Nick said offering his paw. "They said your name was..."

"Judy. My name is Judy." Judy said shaking Nick's paw. "I've never actually met a NICE fox before."

"Well consider me your first." Nick said proudly and putting his head up high. "I saw your play earlier. I liked it." Nick said. "But the whole 'BLOOD! BLOOOOOOD! BLOOOOODDDD!' part seemed like you were milking it a bit."

"It was acting. It's either go big or go home." Judy said boldly. "So... Nick, I don't think I've seen you around here."

"Cause I'm not. I'm actually from Zootopia." Nick said.

When Nick mentioned Zootopia, Judy's eyes lit up.

"YOU'RE FROM ZOOTOPIA?!" Judy shouted in awe. "That's soooooo cool. What's it like?"

"It's a pretty huge city." Nick stated. "There are so many species of mammals that live there. That and you can always find something new to do. It's literally one of the best cities anyone could ever be in."

"Awesome." Judy said happily. "I've always dreamed of going there one day."

"So Judy, do you really want to be a police officer?" Nick asked.

"Uh huh. Why do you ask?" Judy said.

"It's just that... there are NO bunny cops in the ZPD." Nick stated.

"So I've been told." Judy said crossing her arms.

"Uhh... don't feel bad. I'm not one to talk. There are no foxes in the ZPD either." Nick said while scratching the back of his head.

"Really? No foxes either?" Judy said looking surprised.

"Yeah. I think it's because some see us as... what's the word? 'Conniving'." Nick said while doing air quotes.

"Well, you said you were a nice fox and... you do seem... nice." Judy said slightly brushing her feet down the ground.

"Thank you. You... seem nice too." Nick said scratching the back of his head.

Judy's friends started to feel awkward. It was like the two of them were having a moment.

"Hey Judy, can I tell you something?" Nick asked.

"Sure. What is it?" Judy asked listening.

"Don't listen to what that Gideon guy or others say. If you want to try to be a cop, then try to be a cop." Nick said. "My pop told me that some mammals have to work twice as hard... or even more to make others see them differently. It only takes one mammal to stand up for their species. So if you can be the first bunny officer, then who knows what other bunnies would be inspired by you." Nick then put his right paw on her left shoulder. "You just got to work hard for it."

"Wow. That's... some really good advice." Judy said. "Thank you, Nick. You're right. I'll be sure to do my best."

Nick smiled at Judy for taking his advice. Then Nick happens to hear a voice call out to him. It was his mother, Francine.

"Nick, sweetie! It's time to go." Francine shouted from a distance.

"Oh. That's my mom." Nick said. "Well, I have to get back to Zootopia."

"Oh... right." Judy said seeming a little upset. Nick looked a little upset too.

"Well... guess I'll... see you around." Nick said to Judy.

"Yeah. See ya." Judy said.

Nick waved goodbye and then started to head to where his mom was. But he stopped for a second to tell Judy one more thing.

"Oh... and Judy? Good luck with your dream." Nick said with a smile.

Judy simply nodded as Nick left. Judy did felt sad that Nick had to go, but was happy to know that someone supported her dream. Judy then looked back at her friends and notice the wide smiles on their faces.

"What? What's with those looks?" Judy asked them.

"JUDY'S GOT A BOYFRIEND! JUDY'S GOT A BOYFRIEND!" The three children sang out.

"WHAT?! It's not like that." Judy said blushing a bit.

"Come on, Judy. We saw the moment you two were having." The white sheep said. "It's like you two didn't even notice us here."

"Not only that, that fox just happen to save you from Gideon." The bunny girl said.

"He's like your knight in fox fur." Sharla said.

"You guys are just seeing things." Judy said blushing madly and holding one of her ears. "He just happens to be a nice fox. A really... really nice fox." Judy didn't say it, but even with the fact that she and Nick just met, she felt that she was going to miss him quite a bit.

Meanwhile, as Judy was being embarrassed by her friends, Nick was... also feeling the same way. He happens to hear that those kids singing "Judy's got a boyfriend!" as he walked back to his folks. Nick sees his mom and dad waiting for them near one of the booths.

"Hey, mom! Hey, pop!" Nick said to them.

"I hope you're ready to go." Francine said.

"Did you made any new friends?" John asked.

"I... actually did." Nick said. "That bunny girl from the play. Her name is Judy."

"Really? Oh, that's nice." Francine said happy for her son.

"I'm a little down to leave, but at least I got to know her a bit." Nick said.

"Good. I'm proud of you, son." John said. "By the way..." John then walked down to Nick whispered something to him. "Nice work back there."

Hearing John said that really surprised Nick. So Nick's dad had been watching him the whole time. John was happy that he didn't have to get involved. He patted his son on a nice day's work and doing the right thing.

"Now then, let's go home." John said.

"Okay." Nick responded.

As Nick held both his mom and dad's paws, he looked back at the Festival where Judy was. He was secretly hoping that someday he would meet her again. Only time will tell.

 **So Nick and Judy met each other and it seems that they also have made a bit of a connection. So, what will happen next? Will the two even be able to meet each other again? Find out in the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3: Unspoken Feelings

**Okay! Time for chapter 3. Chapter 3 is actually gonna be straight up new from the last chapter. For this chapter, some time has passed since Nick and Judy met that day. Now, both kids have been acting weird for the last couple of days and the parents are starting to notice. Wonder why they are acting so different? Let's find out and see if things can get better for them.**

* * *

It's been about a month since the Carrot Days Festival and the talent show where Nick and Judy met each other and had a good conversation. Then just like that, Nick had to go back to Zootopia and the two said their goodbyes. It was just a small meeting between the two and only a few minutes yet... it's been bugging both of them for quite a while.

In Bunnyburrow, Judy was wearing a grey shirt with blue shorts and lying down on the couch with a couple of her siblings watching TV in the living room of the Hopps house. Judy's ears were currently down. She didn't really pay much attention to what was on. She just couldn't help but think of Nick. For her whole life, her mom and dad told her and her siblings how bad foxes are. They always told them to stay away from them or not to trust them. Yet, Nick was nothing like what they told her.

"Why am I thinking about him so much?" Judy thought. "He's a fox. Mom and Dad told me to stay away from foxes and that they were all bad. But Nick... he's different. He was nice. He even told me to reach out for my dream." Judy then looked up at the ceiling. "Why do I miss him so much?"

Judy's mom and dad, Bonnie and Stu came into the living room.

"Kids! It's time for dinner." Bonnie said to them.

All of Judy's brothers and sisters started to run to the dining hall. All except for Judy. She was still laying on the couch. Stu and Bonnie noticed and wonder if something was up.

"Jude, is something wrong?" Stu asked.

"Dinner's ready. Are you sick, Bun Bun?" Bonnie asked looking concern.

"No. I'm fine." Judy said to them.

"Sweety, your ears are droopy." Bonnie stated. "Now, what's wrong?"

Judy decided to get off the couch and asked them how she felt.

"Are... all foxes really that bad?" Judy asked them.

Stu and Bonnie were surprised to hear Judy asked such a question. But they still answered it.

"Uhhh... well..." Stu said trying to think of the right answer.

"It's not that all foxes are bad. It's just that..." Bonnie said.

"You can't really trust them." Stu said. "We told you this before, didn't we?"

"I know. I know." Judy said. "It's just that... when Gideon was bullying me, the other fox that helped me... he was really nice. He was even pretty supportive to me."

"Where was this fox from?" Bonnie asked.

"Zootopia." Judy answered. "Maybe foxes from Zootopia are nicer."

"Even if this fox that helped you out WAS nice, you still need to be careful with his kind." Stu said.

"Okay." Judy said looking down.

"Come on. To the dining hall before your dinner gets cold." Bonnie said.

"Alright." Judy said as she started walking to the dining hall.

Meanwhile, Judy was not the only one in deep thoughts. The same could be said about Nick back in Zootopia. Nick was currently in his room laying on his bed and throwing a red bouncy ball at the wall. He kept throwing the ball at the wall and catching it. Still in deep thoughts about Judy.

"Why do I miss that bunny girl so much?" Nick thought. "Is it because she's different from other mammals I met? Or maybe it's because of she the closest thing to a friend that I have ever had? I can even still remember her scent. It was mostly of... carrots." Nick then caught his ball and stopped throwing it. But now he looked like he was about to go into a fret. "UGGGHHH! What's with me? I don't even LIKE girls yet. It's not like I talked to her for more than 3 minutes. So why do I feel so weird?"

Nick then heard a call from his mom, Francine.

"Nick! Time for dinner. Come on down." Francine shouted.

"Coming!" Nick shouted back. Nick got out of his bed and went downstairs to the dining room.

The family sat at the table eating their dinner. Francine noticed something different about Nick. Normally, Nick would quickly gobble down his food. But this time, Nick was eating his food very slowly. This wasn't the first time. He has been eating like that for the past couple of weeks now. Francine then goes over to John and whispers something to him.

"Johnny, I think something is wrong with our son." Francine whispered.

"What do you mean?" John whispered back looking clueless.

"Do you not see the way he's eating? He has been eating slowly these last couple of days." Francine stated.

"Didn't you wanted him to take slower bites?" John asked.

"Look at his plate." Francine whispered.

On Nick's plate were mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, and (one of the worst vegetables to EVER exist) broccoli. Nick always hated broccoli and didn't like eating it. His parents would often tell him if he didn't eat it, he wouldn't get dessert. But this time, he was actually eating the broccoli. It seemed like he didn't even notice or cared. This shocked both Francine and John.

"He's EATING his broccoli. Still, think something isn't wrong with him?" Francine asked.

"Okay, something is DEFINITELY wrong with our son." John admitted. He then spoke out to his son. "Say, Nick, are you okay?"

"Huh?" Nick said looking up at his parents. "Oh. I'm fine. Just tired after school... and everything. Don't worry about me." Nick then went back to eating his food.

John and Francine were not convinced that their son was okay. They continued to whisper to each other.

"He's been like this since our trip to Bunnyburrow." Francine stated.

"Hmmm... is that right?" John said scratching his chin. He then had an idea of how they could cheer up their son. "Say... Nick?"

"Yeah pop?" Nick said looking at his dad.

"You know, I been thinking. Things have actually been pretty good for us at the shop this month." John said. "So good in fact, I think the three of us should go on another trip."

Hearing that got Nick's attention and made his ears perk up.

"Another trip! To where?" Nick said looking excited. "Please be Bunnyburrow. Please be Bunnyburrow. Please be Bunnyburrow." Nick thought.

"Hmmm... where should we go, Frankie?" John said slyly to Francine.

"I don't know, Johnny." Francine said slyly to John. She then looked at Nick. "Nick sweety, where do you think we should go?"

"Bunnyburrow! Let's go back to Bunnyburrow!" Nick shouted out overly excited. He then realized that and decided to take it down a notch. "I mean... Bunnyburrow, if it's okay?"

"Very well. Tomorrow, we will take another trip to Bunnyburrow." John said happily.

"Yes!" Nick said happily. This meant that Nick had another chance of running into Judy again. "Thank you so much, mom and dad."

"It's no problem. You've been a very good boy lately." John said smiling.

"You even ate all your broccoli." Francine said smiling.

"Wait? What?" Nick said looking surprised. He looked at his plate and realized that he indeed had eaten all his broccoli. Then the broccoli aftertaste started coming up to his throat. "YUCK! YUCK! I can still taste those horrible spores of evil on my tongue."

"Hahahaha! Come on, my boy. It couldn't have been that bad." John said laughing.

"Annnnnnnd... since you ate all your broccoli, you can have dessert. A good ol' slice of blueberry pie. Your favorite." Francine said to Nick.

"Can... I get some ice cream to go with that?" Nick asked.

"Yes, you can." Francine said nodding.

"Thank you." Nick said pleased to have dessert after eating his veggies.

The next day, the Wilde got in their little blue car and drove to Bunnyburrow this time, instead of using the train. They drove for hours on the road and enjoying the landscape. Nick asked his folks several times if they were there yet. The response was always "Not yet." Nick was REALLY excited to go to Bunnyburrow again. He was currently figuring out what he wanted to do if he ran into Judy again.

"I hope I run into Judy again." Nick thought. "I don't think I have ever been so excited to see a bunny before. Which is weird since I'm a fox." Nick started thinking about how would he find her. "It shouldn't be too hard to find one bunny, right?"

"Nick, we're are finally here." John said seeing the sign.

Nick looked out the window and saw the sign too. The sign said "Welcome to Bunnyburrow" and also had the population number. The population was over 20,000,000 and still growing. Nick's jaw dropped when he saw the number.

"Finding Judy maaaaaay be harder than I thought." Nick said looking worried. "Okay. No big deal. I still remember her scent. Carrots. That only... every bunny in the whole town." Nick then facepalmed himself on how hard it was gonna be to find Judy.

The Wildes make it to the town and they parked their car. Bunnyburrow was just the same as it was the last time they visited. The town was mostly filled with bunnies, but still had other mammals like sheep, pigs, horses, and even some foxes. There were also quite a few shops that they all wanted to check out. The last time the Wildes were here, they didn't really check out the shops. This time they were going to.

The Wildes started by heading into a Diner for lunch. They all had veggie burgers with some kringle cut fries. They all enjoyed the food. Nick had a habit of playing with his fries. Of course, his mom didn't approve it and told him to stop. Not that her husband didn't do the same. Some of the rabbit customers were a little stunned to see foxes eating veggies. After lunch, they left the restaurant and went off to see the other sites.

The next spot was a fabric store. John wanted to be somewhat inspired by some of the fabric designs that they use in Bunnyburrow for some of his own suits. He liked a few and bought some of them to use for himself. After that, they went to check out one store after another.

While doing this, Nick still kept an eye out for Judy. He started asking some of the residents if they knew her or knew where she could be. He had no luck. Some didn't really know who she was. But let's face it, they ARE a lot of bunnies living in Bunnyburrow. As hard as Nick tried, he had no luck finding Judy. Nick started to feel disappointed that he couldn't find her.

Currently, Nick and his parents were walking down a long road near the farm side. John and Francine both notice how sad Nick was looking.

"You okay there, Slick?" John asked.

"Yeah... I'm fine." Nick said still looking sad.

Knowing their son, they knew even if he said he was fine, he wasn't. So they tried to figure out a way to cheer him up. Then they notice at the distance, there was a little stand that sold fruits and vegetables.

"Hey, champ! Check out that little stand over there." John said.

"Huh?" Nick said as he looked up at the stand. "Oh!"

"How about we get a little snack? I bet they have some blueberries." John said.

"Blueberries?!" Nick said feeling perked up again. "I'll go check."

Nick then dashed ahead of his parents to the little vegetable stand. What he didn't know, was that the stand was owned by The Hopps family. Stu and Bonnie were both running the stand, waiting for a customer. About six of their children were nearby playing near the fields. Nick stopped at the front of the stand and tried to get Stu and Bonnie's attention.

"Excuse me?" Nick said.

"Huh?" Stu and Bonnie said before looking down and noticing the little fox.

"Hi!" Nick said waving happily.

Seeing that Nick was a fox, kinda made Stu jump a bit. Bonnie calmed him down a bit.

"Stu, calm down." Bonnie said. "He's a fox, but he's just a little kit."

Then at that moment, Nick's parents, John and Francine came by the stand now.

"Hey there!" John said happily.

"Hello." Francine said happily.

This time, both Stu AND Bonnie jumped a bit. The thought of three foxes in front of them didn't sit well with them. You can guess that being bunnies made them had a big fear of foxes. John noticed the look of fear in them.

"Now now. We are not trying to make a scare on you two." John said with his hand on his wife's shoulder. "We're just a happy family of foxes looking for some fresh produce."

"Uhh... right. Sorry about that." Stu said starting to calming down. "How... can we help you?"

"Some of your best blueberries, please?" John asked kindly.

"Sure. Of course." Bonnie said.

While Bonnie and Stu were asking how many blueberries they wanted, Nick put his attention on the bunnies kids talking near the fields. He notices that they were around his age or so. Then he notices something else.

"Wait? That scent..." Nick thought.

The scent was of... carrots. The same scent as her. He then looked at one of the bunnies. By looking at the bunny, she had grey fur, a grey shirt with blue shorts, and her ears were down. She had her scent, but was it really her? Nick couldn't see her face, so he wasn't completely sure. But it didn't discourage him not to find out. He just had to be sure. So he called out her name.

"Judy?" Nick called out while tilting his head.

The bunny's ear went up as she heard that name. She turned around and to Nick's surprise, it was her. It was Judy. Judy saw Nick and was also surprised to see him.

"Nick?" Judy said.

Their expressions changed from surprised ones to very happy ones.

"JUDY!" Nick shouted out happily.

"NICK!" Judy shouted out happily.

Judy then dashed over to Nick to talk to him.

"Nick! You're back at Bunnyburrow." Judy said.

"Yep! My parents and I came back for another visit." Nick said while pointing back at his parents. "It's great to see you again."

"You too." Judy said happily.

All of this got the attention of both Nick's and Judy's parents. They notice how their moods completely changed.

"You... know this fox, Jude?" Stu asked.

"Yeah! He's the fox that I told you about." Judy stated. "He's my friend."

"Now I remember you." John said. "You were the little bunny from that play."

"Oh yeah. We loved your little play, dear." Francine said.

"Thank you, ma'am." Judy said.

"You know, our little Nicky REALLY wanted to come back here. I guessing the main reason why is because he wanted to see you again." Francine said with a smile.

"Mom..." Nick said looking embarrassed.

"Heeheehee!" Judy giggled.

"So... Judy, right? In your play, you said you wanted to be a police officer, correct?" John asked.

"Yes, sir." Judy said to John.

"Now now. She's still too young to be completely sure." Stu stated.

"There are still quite a few other careers she can do." Bonnie stated.

See, Stu and Bonnie don't really approve of Judy wanting to be a police officer when she grows up. They would actually prefer that she stays to work at the farm like all of her other siblings.

"Actually... I find your daughter wanting to be a police officer quite honorable." John said.

"Huh?" Stu, Bonnie, and Judy said surprised.

"Let me put it this way." John said. "In the world, there HAD to be triers for everything. I mean, you're a family of farmers, right? But you are not the first rabbit farmers. In other words, there had to be a rabbit out there to try farming." John then leans down to Judy's eye level. "This world needs triers for others to be motivated to do things. Even the ones who settled."

"That's... actually really good and fatherly advice." Stu admitted. "In fact, I never even thought of it that way."

"Most don't until someone tells them." John said getting back up.

Judy seems to like John's little piece of advice. She then looked at her parents.

"Mom? Dad? Is it okay if I show Nick around the farm?" Judy asked.

"Can I, mom and pop? Please?" Nick asked his parents.

"I don't see why not? How about you, Johnny?" Francine asked.

"Nope. I think it's a great idea. That is... if it's okay with Judy's parents." John stated.

Both Stu and Bonnie seemed a little nervous about having their daughter hang out with a fox around the farm. But they didn't want to be horrible parents that couldn't trust another mammal. That and Judy looked like she would be really happy if she had some more time to spend with Nick. So they agreed to it.

"I suppose it's okay." Stu said. "Right, Bon?"

"The boy does seem nice." Bonnie said.

"Alright!" Both Nick and Judy shouted out happily.

"Thanks, mom and dad." Judy said.

"Yeah. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs... uhh..." Nick said not knowing their last name.

"Hopps, dear." Bonnie answered.

"And we're the Wildes." Francine said.

Judy then grabbed Nick's arm.

"Come on, Nick. I'll show you around some of our fields." Judy said happily.

"Okay." Nick said smiling.

The two kids then started walking, leaving their parents.

"Be sure to come by the house when you're done." Stu shouted out.

"Okay." Judy shouted back.

So now, it was just Judy's parents with Nick's parents. Rabbit parents with Fox parents. You don't see that every day. John and Francine seemed fine with things. Stu and Bonnie, however, were really nervous to be alone with two foxes.

"Seems like our kids are getting along just fine. We should do the same. Don't ya think?" John stated to Stu and Bonnie.

"Ye... yeah. I think we should." Stu said looking like he may not have meant it.

This was gonna be a long day.

 **Well, that's the end of this chapter. Nick and Judy have reunited. Now Judy is spending more time with Nick and showing him around the farm. Let's see if the two can really get along in the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4: Nick and Judy's Happy Reunion

**Time for Chapter 4. I hope you guys are liking the story so far. For this chapter, Nick and Judy walk around the farm and try to get to know each other better. I like the fact that in the movie, Nick and Judy don't really have anything in common, yet they work well together. That's basically what this chapter is all about. I feel like this is gonna be a really cute chapter filled with fluff. Let's get this started right now.**

* * *

After being reunited, Nick and Judy decided to spend some time together looking around the Hopps family farm. The two were currently walking side by side near the carrots field. Judy was skipping more than walking.

"So Judy, your family runs a carrot farm?" Nick asked.

"Yep. We're a family full of carrot farmers." Judy stated. "But just not carrots. Radishes, beets, lettuce, squash, and a bunch of others things. We grow it all."

"Huh. That's pretty cool." Nick said.

"Yeah. But it's not really an exciting job. But we do have plenty of food. So we never have to worry about starving." Judy said.

"That's a good thing." Nick said. As fun as knowing about the farm was, Nick really wanted to know more about Judy herself. "So Judy, the last time we met we didn't really talk about each other much." Nick stated. "So how about we start now?"

"Okay. What should we talk about first?" Judy asked.

"Ummm... How about our full names first?" Nick said. "I like to be called Nick, but my full name is Nicholas Piberius Wilde. What about you, Judy?"

"It's Judith Laverne Hopps." Judy said.

Nick started to snicker a bit.

"Laverne. That's a funny middle name." Nick said still snickering.

"You're one to talk, Piberius." Judy said giving Nick a sly look.

"Hey! I was named after one of my great uncles." Nick said in a bit of a fret.

"And I was named of one of my aunts." Judy said. "One of my many... many aunts." Judy mumbled. Judy then decided to ask Nick about his family. "So Nick, what do your parents do?"

"Pop runs a suit and tailoring shop and my mom helps him. The shop's name is "Wilde and Son". Guess who the son is?" Nick said pointing at himself. "It's a small shop, but we still do okay, I guess. My dad hopes that one day, mammals all over the city of Zootopia would come to his shop for his suits."

"Wow. Seems like your dad has a big dream." Judy stated.

"Yeah. But it's still pretty small now." Nick said. "Pa tried to get a loan for a bigger store, but his idea got rejected by almost every loan company he went to. I'm pretty sure it was because he was a fox."

Judy's ears drooped when she hears that.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Judy said looking sad.

"It's fine. Don't worry about." Nick said to Judy. "Let's talk about something else. Those others kids you were with were they all your brothers and sisters?"

"SOME of my brothers and sisters, but not all my brothers and sisters." Judy said with her ears back up.

"Some? How many brothers and sisters do you have?" Nick asked.

"275." Judy said.

"275?!" Nick shouted out as he jumped back. "THAT MANY?!"

"Well... more soon. Mom's pregnant... again." Judy said not too happy.

"Wow. Umm... you don't sound too excited about it." Nick said noticing Judy's tone.

"It's just that... there are so many of us already." Judy stated. "It's like I have a brother or sister for every day of the week."

"I see. Must be hard to have so many brothers and sisters." Nick said. "In Zootopia, I think most bunny families have as high as 30 kids. Some families even only have 1 kid."

"The lucky ones." Judy said.

"Well, I guess it would be hard to raise such a huge family in a city like Zootopia." Nick stated. "I mean, do you know how much rent would be for the number of family members you have to live in a tiny apartment? Pretty high. Guess living out in the country makes it easy for a family as big as yours."

"Yeah. You're right about that." Judy said. "What about you, Nick? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I'm... an only child." Nick said looking a little sad.

"Oh." Judy said as her ears drooped.

"Yeah. I get lonely sometimes, but at least I don't have to share my things." Nick said.

"Nick. Please tell me. On a scale of 1 to 10, how good is it to be a only child?" Judy asked looking a bit serious.

"What?" Nick said looking surprised.

"Please? I need to know." Judy said.

"Uhhh... 6 or 7... I guess." Nick said shrugging. "I don't know how I should answer you."

"Do YOU have to wait in a long line just to use the bathroom?" Judy asked with a straight face.

"No." Nick answered.

"Do YOU have to run to the dining hall for EVERY meal just so you don't eat last?" Judy asked.

"No." Nick answered.

"Do you have to wear your older siblings hand-me-downs, as well as share them with your other siblings?"

"No." Nick answered once again.

"Somehow, I already want your life." Judy said.

"Hahahaha!" Nick laughed. He couldn't believe someone wishes to have "his" life. "I don't think you really want my life, Judy. Besides, having so many brothers and sister can't be that bad. I wish I had some."

"You can have some of mine." Judy said joking a bit.

"Hahahaha! You can't be serious." Nick said laughing again.

"What? I have plenty. I don't mind." Judy said joking some more.

"I don't think your mom and dad would be happy about that." Nick stated.

"Yeah. Guess your right about that." Judy said. "How about YOUR parents just adopt me?"

Nick then started to burst into laughter even more than before. Could you blame him? A rabbit wanting to be adopted into a family of foxes.

"Hahaha... sorry. Heehee... it's just... too... haha... funny." Nick said still laughing.

"Hey. I can be a fox." Judy said firmly.

"Nooooot really." Nick said finally calming down. "You're missing a few things."

"Like what?" Judy asked.

"Do you have a long bushy tail?" Nick asked.

"No." Judy answered.

"Pointed ears?" Nick asked as he twitches his ears a bit.

"No." Judy answered.

"Long bushy fur?" Nick asked.

"No." Judy answered again.

"Pawpads?" Nick said holding his paw up.

"No." Judy answered once again.

"See, you kinda need all of those to be a fox." Nick said with a smirk. "Not to mention, a nice pair of chompers like these." Nick then grinned at Judy with his sharp teeth showing. Seeing this, Judy stepped back a bit.

"Woah!" Judy said little a bit scared. Nick noticed.

"Oh! Wait! I'm sorry." Nick said. "I wasn't trying to scare you or anything."

"No. It's okay." Judy said not looking scared anymore. "It's just that I'm not used to hanging out with mammals who have very... sharp teeth."

"Most of them are still my baby teeth." Nick stated. "When I become an adult, my adult teeth are gonna be even sharper."

"Oh, my." Judy said looking surprised.

"But... it's not like foxes have the SHARPEST set of teeth on a mammal." Nick said while scratching the back of his head. "So you don't have to worry too much. Now back to the subject at paw." Nick decided they should go back to talking about Judy's siblings. "You should be happy to have so many siblings. It means you're never really alone."

"Yeah. Even if it can be a pain to live with all of them sometimes, I do love all my siblings." Judy said with a smile.

"You're a lucky bunny, Judy." Nick said.

"Thanks." Judy said. "We've been walking near the carrot crops for a while. How about I show you where we grow our other crops?"

"Sure. Lead the way, Carrots." Nick said.

When Nick called Judy, Carrots, it made her a bit curious to be called that.

"Carrots?" Judy said tilting her head.

"My nickname for you." Nick said. "What? You don't like it? If you don't, then I can just stick with..."

"Actually... I kinda like it. Okay. You can call me Carrots if you want." Judy said with a smile. "Just as long as I can have a nickname for you."

"Depends. What do you have in mind?" Nick asked.

"How abooooout..." Judy tried to think of a good nickname for Nick. Then one came to mind. "Slick? As in Slick Nick."

"Hahaha! Pop always calls me that." Nick said. "So I can't see why you shouldn't."

"Great! Alright, let's go... Slick." Judy said with a smile.

"Right behind you... Carrots." Nick said smiling as well.

Now with the nicknames, they dubbed to each other, Nick and Judy, or in this case, Slick and Carrots, decided to see more of the fields and crops around the farm. While doing that, the two of them talked more about things. While near the patches of lettuce, Judy told Nick about a few of her brothers and sisters and that she was from the fourth litter. Nick did his best to try to remember every brother or sister Judy mentioned. Judy told Nick that he didn't have to. But Nick wanted to. Nick told Judy on how when he's older, he wants to know everyone in the city of Zootopia. With a population that was at least 8 times higher than the population of Bunnyburrow, Judy believed that it was an impossible task, but Nick was determined to try. He told Judy on how he already knows all his dad's regular customers, half the mammals at his school, and a few people at the stores he goes to. So he knew quite a lot of people. Judy was quite impressed.

While crossing the cornfields, Nick decided to talk to Judy about the food that she like.

"What's your favorite food, Judy?" Nick asked. "No, wait? Let me guess. Carrots."

"What? Because I'm a rabbit, my favorite food has to be carrots?" Judy said in a fret that Nick was going with the regular rabbit stereotype.

"Well is it?" Nick asked.

"... Yes." Judy said admitting it.

"Ha! Knew it." Nick said smirking.

"Well, what about you?" Judy asked. "Assuming it's not rabbits."

"Har har." Nick said sarcastically.

"Now that I mention it, what do you foxes eat exactly?" Judy asked looking curious. "I don't really know. Neither does anyone in my family.

"Well, we do eat some vegetables. But there is a lot that I don't like." Nick said. "One vegetable is broccoli. I HATE broccoli."

"What's wrong with broccoli?" Judy asked. "I like it."

"You would because you're a bunny. But we foxes have different tastes." Nick said. "Mom would always force me to eat my broccoli by not giving me dessert until I do."

"Poor you." Judy said teasing Nick a bit. "Well, what do you actually like?"

"Protein-wise, I do like some types of beans." Nick said. "My pop makes this bean and veggie chili that is... pretty fantastic. He even adds corn chips on top of it to give it a good crunch. You might like it."

"It does sound pretty good." Judy admitted. "Okay, hear's my next question. Do... do you actually EAT any meat?" Judy said looking curious.

"Only fish sometimes. Salmon. Yellowtail. Tuna. You know, those kinds of fish. But never had anything else." Nick said. "But out of everything, there is one thing that I REALLY adore."

"What would that be?" Judy asked.

"Blueberries." Nick said with a smile.

"Blueberries?" Judy said.

"Yes. Blueberries." Nick said. "Whether they are baked into a pie or plain, I just love blueberries. I could eat them all day, every day."

"Haha! Sounds you like REALLY love blueberries." Judy said.

"I do." Nick said. Then at that moment, his stomach grumbled a bit. Turns out, Nick was hungry. "Ah geez! I just remember. The reason why we went to your family's stand was to get some blueberries. We never actually GOT any." Nick's stomach growled some more. "I could really go for some right now."

"Well, you're in luck, Nick." Judy said with a smirk. "We just happen to be near our blueberry bushes. Follow me, if you would."

Nick nodded and follow Judy. A few minutes later, Judy leads Nick to her family farm's blueberry patch. It was pretty huge. Bushes from all over had fresh blueberries to take for the picking. Nick was in total awe.

"WOOOOOAAAHHHHH!" Nick said surprised.

"This is our family's blueberry patch. " Judy said proudly. "We grow plenty of blueberries and pick the fresh ones every day." Judy looked at Nick and notice that he started to salivate a bit. "Do you want to try a few?"

"So badly." Nick answered.

"Well, help yourself to a few." Judy said to Nick.

Nick, being very excited, walked to the bush and was about to pick a few blueberries for himself. But he stopped and paused for a few moments.

"What's wrong?" Judy asked, noticing he hasn't tried any of the berries yet.

"It's just that... well... I'm a fox and these were grown by bunnies... so it feels like... I'm stealing." Nick said looking worried.

"It's fine. I said you could have some." Judy said.

"Sorry. But I still feel weird about it.." Nick said.

Since it seems like Nick was too afraid to pick out the berries himself, Judy picked about four blueberries and offer them to Nick.

"Here you go." Judy said.

"Huh?" Nick said looking surprised.

"This way you are not taking them. I'm giving them to you." Judy said. "You don't have to worry. I get these all the time." Judy then gave the blueberries to Nick. "Go on. Try one."

Since it seems okay with Judy, Nick nodded and then ate the blueberries. As expected, he loved them.

"Mmmmmm... so good." Nick said very happily. "These are like the best blueberries I've ever had. Even Zootopia doesn't have blueberries this good."

"Glad you like them." Judy said with a smile.

"Can I have some more?" Nick asked smiling.

"Sure." Judy said happily.

Judy picked three more blueberries to give to Nick.

"Wanna see a trick?" Nick asked.

"What kind of trick?" Judy asked.

"Place the blueberries on top of my nose." Nick said leaning down a bit.

"Okay." Judy said.

Judy placed the three blueberries on Nick's nose, like he said.

"Now... watch this." Nick said while keeping the blueberries on his nose.

Nick then lifted his head up, throwing the blueberries up in the air. Nick catches all three of the blueberries in his mouth as they fall down. This little trick impressed Judy quite a bit and she started clapping.

"Wow! That was really cool." Judy said impressed.

"Thanks! My dad taught me that trick. I think he loves blueberries just as much as I do." Nick said.

"I want to try that." Judy said looking eager.

"I don't think you have the nose for that." Nick stated.

"Won't stop me from trying." Judy said.

Judy then grabbed some blueberries and tried doing Nick's blueberry trick. She had many failed attempts. As Nick watched Judy still fail at catching blueberries, he looked near the far bushes behind Judy. He notices 3 sets of ears hiding from behind a few of the bushes.

"Umm... Judy, who are those big kids from behind those bushes?" Nick asked her.

"Huh?" Judy said as she looked back. Behind her was 3 rabbits. All males and looked at the ages of 14 or 15. They were still trying to not be seen by them. Judy knew who they were. "Ugh! Those are my big brothers."

"They have been following us for a while. I just didn't want to say anything." Nick said.

"Dad must have told them to keep an eye on me." Judy said.

"Wonder why that is?" Nick said sarcastically while crossing his arms.

"I'm sorry. My family has... issues with foxes." Judy said.

"It's not like my family isn't already used to it." Nick said.

Judy had a wide, yet slightly sly smile on her face. It seems that she had a plan.

"Hey, Nick? Do you like pulling pranks?" Judy asked.

"Doesn't everybody?" Nick answered.

"How would you like to pull a little prank on my brothers?" Judy asked Nick while smirking.

"I'm listening." Nick said with a sly smile.

Judy then asks Nick to lean down a bit as she whispered something in his ear. Meanwhile, still trying to hide were three of Judy's older brother. A dark brown bunny wearing a green checkered shirt and jeans, named Herman; a white bunny wearing a dark blue shirt and green jeans, named Eugene; and a light brown bunny wearing a green shirt and a blue overalls, named Gerald. They were all slightly taller than Nick. The three of them still watched over Judy and Nick.

"Ugghhh! This is stupid." Eugene said. "We don't need to keep an eye on them."

"We have to. Dad told us to. Also, the kid's a fox. You remember what dad told us about foxes." Gerald said.

"I know that. But the kid hasn't done anything wrong. That and Judy seems comfortable around him." Eugene said.

"I agree with Eugene." Herman said. "If he wanted to do something bad, he would have done it by now."

Then they heard these two loud screams.

"RAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"EEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!"

"That was Judy's scream." Herman said.

"I knew that fox couldn't be trusted." Gerald said.

The three of them dashed to where Nick and Judy were.

"JUDY!" Eugene, Gerald, and Herman shouted.

When they saw Judy, she was down on the ground. But they knew she was fine when she did this.

"BLOOD! BLOOODDD! BLOOOOOODDDD!" Judy shouted in a similar fashion to her acting in the play but without the ribbons and ketchup. "And... death." Judy then laid down on the ground, pretending that she was dead. Nick just smiled slyly.

"You know you are still milking it." Nick said smirking.

"Uhhhhh..." Eugene, Gerald, and Herman said looking confused.

Judy then got up to her feet and was about to scorn her older brothers.

"We got you three. You were watching us the whole time, were you?" Judy asked them looking mad.

"Look, we're sorry. But dad told us to." Eugene said.

"Is that so? Any reason WHY?" Judy asked them.

"Look. It's because... e thay oy bay is a ox fay. (the boy is a fox.)" Gerald said switching to pig latin.

"Is thay ox fay an cay eak spay ig pay atin lay oo tay, ou yay ig bay erk jay. (This fox can speak pig latin too, you big jerk.)" Nick said also speaking pig latin, which threw Gerald off.

"Oh... uhh..." Gerald didn't know what to say next.

"I get it. I'm a fox and she's your sister. But I don't want to do anything to her." Nick said as he crossed his heart. "You have my word."

"That's right. Nick's a fox, but he's also my friend." Judy said while holding on to Nick's arm. "He's a good fox, so you don't have to worry about us together."

"Guess the little guy is harmless." Herman said.

"Fine. We're leaving you guys now." Eugene said.

"Hang on. I want to say one more thing to this fox's here." Gerald said. He then walked to Nick and looked down at him. "Listen, squirt. You better not do anything to hurt our little sister, or else you WILL regret it. Got it?"

You think that Nick would feel scared by Gerald's word. But he wasn't. He just had a straight look on his face.

"You're threatening a 9-year-old. Do you feel proud of yourself?" Nick said to Gerald.

Gerald eyes then widen. He was threatening a 9-year-old. Even if he was a fox, there was NO way he could feel proud about that.

"Let's just go, guys. No need to stay here." Gerald calling his brothers. As the three started to walk away from Nick and Judy, Gerald whispers something to Herman and Eugene. "Am I a bad rabbit for threatening a 9-year-old fox?"

"You don't want us to answer that." Herman and Eugene said.

Just like that, Judy's brothers left the blueberry patch. Leaving Nick and Judy to alone. Judy then notice that Nick had a wide smirk on his face.

"What with that look, Slick?" Judy said.

"He called me squirt. But in a few years, I'll be taller than everyone in your whole family." Nick said with a sly smile.

"Oh har har." Judy said fake laughter.

Nick would be right. He was already taller than Judy. Judy only reaches up to Nick's shoulders. Not even all the way. When Nick grows up, he would be a solid 4 feet, while most rabbits are only as tall as 3 feet.

"Anyway, I'm sorry about that." Judy said. "My parents tend to be worrywarts around foxes or any other scary mammals."

"If that's the case, I wonder how they are doing with my folks?" Nick asked scratching his chin a bit.

"I'm sure they're fine." Judy said.

Meanwhile, at the Hopps' house, John and Francine Wilde and Stu and Bonnie Hopps were all sitting in chairs having some tea on a table. John and Francine seemed fine, but Stu and Bonnie just smiled awkwardly. The two were still scared to be in the same room with foxes. As Francine sipped the tea from her cup, she began to speak.

"We know what you guys are thinking. You're afraid of us, are you?" Francine asked.

"Wha... whaaat?" Stu said trying not to sound scared. But failing.

"No. We're aren't... afraid of you." Bonnie said also trying not to sound scared. "It's just... that... the two of us..."

"Let me stop you two right there." Francine said. "It's fine."

"You really think you're the only ones to act this way around us?" John said. "We get it. You're rabbits and we're foxes."

"We don't know what you heard about our kind, but you can put your fears aside. None of it is true." Francine said.

"We're not gonna do anything bad or 'eat you' if that's what you are afraid of." John said. "Our kind hasn't eaten rabbits in centuries. So we don't plan to start now."

"The least we can all do is get along. For our children." Francine stated.

After hearing John and Francine words and looking at each other, both Stu and Bonnie agreed that these two meant no harm. So they set their fears aside and believe them.

"I suppose you're right." Stu said starting to feel more comfortable. "We're sorry about that. It's just growing up... us rabbits... heard some things about foxes."

"Let me guess. That we are all 'sneaky and untrustworthy'?" John asked. "While I can't say the same for all foxes, this family of foxes IS trustworthy. So you don't have to worry."

"Your son does seem like a good boy." Bonnie said.

"He is. Nick's our little blueberry." Francine said smiling. "He's very friendly and gets good grades in school."

"So is our little Jude the Dude." Stu said with a smile. "She always does good and wanting to make the world a better place."

"See? She must see the good in Nick." John said. "He did protect her from a bully before. My boy didn't even have to actually fight him, which is a good thing. I rather not have him involved in any fighting."

"The same goes for us with any of our children." Bonnie said.

"It's must be hard to look out for... so many little ones." Francine said noticing how many little bunnies were running around the house.

"You would actually be surprised at how easy it is. Us bunnies are naturals." Bonnie stated.

"Raising them or making them?" John whispered at Francine trying to make a joke.

"Johnny!" Francine said while bumping John with her elbow and trying not to laugh.

John looked at Stu's overalls and notices that there was a bit of a rip on them. Being a tailor, this REALLY bugged John.

"Stu. Your overalls. It seems that you have a tear." John started looking a bit serious.

"Oh. Yeah. Happened when I was doing some farm work." Stu said.

"Tch. Tch. This won't do at all." John said. "Frankie, do you have it?"

"Right in my purse." Francine said.

Francine then went into her red purse for something. This started to worry Stu a bit.

"What's she getting from that purse?" Stu said looking concern.

Francine took out a little white box and gave it to John. John opens the box and it was filled with different types of small thread, some sewing needles, and mini scissors. The box was a mini sewing kit.

"Johnny is a tailor. So if he sees a rip or tears on anything, he just HAS to fix it." Francine said.

"Okay, Stu. Now just hold still." John said walking to Stu with a needle and blue thread at paw.

"Uhhh... no thanks. It's fine really." Stu said frantically. He was still scared of a fox going near him.

"No. No. It will just take a second." John said insisting on fixing the tear.

"I said it's fine." Stu said still looking even more scared.

"Come on. I promise... you can trust me." John said sincerely.

Stu still didn't like a fox being so close to him just to fix a tear. Even if John was a nice enough fox. But John said he could trust him, so he decided to. Stu then closed his eyes expected that he would be wrong and was thinking "Just... make it quick, okay?" After a few seconds...

"Done." John said.

Stu opened his eyes and looked at his overalls and notice that the tear on his overalls was fixed. Once more, it was barely noticeable.

"The tear... it's fixed." Stu said surprised. "I can barely tell it was ripped."

"That's John's handiwork for ya." Francine said.

"I'm good at my job." John said putting the needle and threads back in his box. "See? I told you that you can trust me."

Stu and Bonnie were a little dumbfounded. Turns out, John and Francine were really two good and honest foxes. Two things that they didn't expect from foxes. Now, let's get back to Nick and Judy. Judy decided to take Nick to a place outside of the farm. They were currently walking around a green plain.

"So Carrots, where are you heading to again?" Nick asked.

"Just a nice little lake around town that I like to go to." Judy said.

"Huh. I don't think I've been near a real lake before." Nick said.

"They don't have lakes in Zootopia?" Judy asked.

"Oh, they do. It just that most of them are mammal-made." Nick stated. "So this will be the first time I go to a real authentic lake. Will there be stones that we can skip at the water?"

"Yeah, they will." Judy said.

"Great. Can't wait." Nick said excitedly. Nick felt very comfortable being with Judy. "You know Judy, it's actually kinda funny."

"What is?" Judy asked.

"The two of us." Nick said. "I mean... you're a rabbit and I'm a fox. Your prey and I'm a predator. To top it off, the two of us don't really have anything in common."

"You're right. We are both very different mammals." Judy said. "Yet..."

"For some reason, I feel that we can be really good friends." Nick said finishing Judy's sentence.

"Me too." Judy said smiling.

"Do you... want to be best friends?" Nick asked looking nervous. "Sorry if I am putting you on the spot. I never really... I never really had a real friend before."

Hearing Nick admits that, surprised Judy a bit. Admitting that you don't have friends is a hard thing to say. Judy had her siblings and some of her friends from school. But Nick, even as nice as he is, didn't really had anyone. But Judy wanted to change that.

"Sure Nick." Judy said happily. "I already see you as a friend. So why shouldn't we be best friends?"

"Gr... Great! So now we are best friends." Nick said excitedly. "I'm... best friend's with a bunny."

"And I'm... best friend's with a fox." Judy stated.

Nick and Judy then laughed about it bit. Think about it. A fox and a rabbit as best friends? Centuries ago, foxes and rabbit were natural enemies. Yet things seem to work for Nick and Judy. Not only because they are kids, but the fact they seem to understand each other pretty well. As they continue to walk, Nick wanted to talk to Judy about something else.

"Say, Judy, can I say something to you?" Nick said to Judy.

"What is it?" Judy said.

"It's about your play." Nick said. "Now I did like it and all. But there was one 'small' part that I didn't like so much."

"Let me guess. It was the 'blood' part, was it?" Judy asked with a straight face.

"Not that part. I actually found it to be really funny." Nick said chuckling a bit. "But that part I'm talking about is when you say we were divided into two groups. You called predators 'vicious' and prey 'meek'."

"Well yeah. That's how things were in the past." Judy said.

"Uhhh... Judy, don't be offended by what I'm about to say." Nick said. " Now I don't mean to sound blunt, but I feel that you thinking that is sort inaccurate and very close-minded."

"Close-minded?" Judy said looking a bit angry as she stopped walking.

"Now. Now." Nick said in an attempt to calm down Judy as he stops in front of her. "Before you get your ears in a knot, hear me out if you would?"

"*sigh* Fine." Judy said crossing her arms.

"Okay." Nick said as he bends down a bit. "First off, what's the main difference between you prey and us predators?"

"Our teeth. Prey have flat teeth, while predators have sharp teeth." Judy answered.

"Exactly. But a sharp pair of chompers isn't what makes a predator vicious." Nick said. "While I can't say that for all predators, such as lions, tigers, bears, wolves and even foxes. There are other plenty of predators that aren't considered savage in nature. Like dogs, cats, ferrets, stoats, and otters. **(If you watch the movie, bad example.)** Sure they may all have sharp teeth and have eaten prey in the past, but that doesn't mean they go ripping off another mammal's head. Now for prey. True, the smallest prey like mice, hamsters, shrews, lemmings, and of course bunnies..." Nick said as he petted Judy's head a bit. "... are considered meek. But there are DEFINITELY prey mammals that are far from meek. Rams are known to headbutt each other with enough force to knock a tiger senseless. Rhinos have horns that could go through anything... or anyone. Then there are elephants. They are so huge, that you always have to be careful not to be stepped on. Can you really say predators like otters and foxes are scarier than something as big as an elephant?"

Judy then started to factor everything Nick was saying and realized that he was right. Even if predators were dangerous in the past, that didn't mean that some prey weren't just as dangerous.

"You see what I mean?" Nick said while standing up straight again. "Not only that, like you said in you play, we evolved. So for all we know, prey might be just as dangerous as some predators now. But I guess it's just me saying that." Nick continues to talk more. "So anyway, bottom line is... some predators were vicious, but that doesn't mean that there weren't meek ones and some prey may be meek, but that doesn't mean that there weren't vicious ones."

Judy was silent for a moment. She had her head down and her ears drooped down as well.

"Your right." Judy said. "I... guess I never thought about it that way. I really have been close-minded."

"It's fine. I get it. Us predators ARE pretty scary at the time." Nick admitted. "Plus I know all about bunnies 'history' with foxes and other predators. But that's what it was. History. This is the present. The here and now. We have to see others for more than just what we are."

"Right again, Nick. Wow. You're really smart for someone the same age as me." Judy said.

"Thanks! Actually, I get most of this advice from my pop." Nick said while scratching the back of his head. "He's always telling me this stuff and that us foxes should be seen more than just 'shifty' and 'untrustworthy'."

"Don't worry, Nick. I don't think you're any of those things. I trust you." Judy said smiling.

"Funny. A bunny saying that she trusts a fox. You might be the first one." Nick said. "But I would understand why you wouldn't trust a fox at first. You know... after that fox from before. What was his name again? Gideon?"

"You guessed it. Gideon Grey." Judy said.

"Grrrrrr..." Nick growled. Nick seems to still have some angry feelings about Gideon. "I still can't get that guy's face out of my head. He was such a jerk to you."

"Gideon's a jerk to everybody." Judy stated. "That's always how he is in school."

"Grrr... and it doesn't help the fact that he's a fox." Nick said still looking mad. "I want to be fully mad at him... yet I can't."

"Why not?" Judy asked.

"Remember what I said about being open-minded. If he's like that, there must be a reason why." Nick stated. "I just don't really know that reason."

"Hmm... I wonder if you're right?" Judy asked.

"Anyway, we've talked enough. How about you head to that lake you were talking about?" Nick asked Judy.

"Right. Let's go." Judy said.

The two continued on their walk to the lake. After a few minutes, the lake was within eyeshot. The water in the lake was crystal clear. There were one or two trees around the lake, a big log to sit on, and a few stones pebbles to throw in the lake. It was a really nice, peaceful looking spot. Nick and Judy were still at a distance from there.

"Look. We're almost there." Judy said to Nick.

"Wow. Looks really nice." Nick said. Then Nick noticed something. Or in this case, someone. Nick sees someone sitting on the log near the lake. "Huh? Who's that?" Nick looked closer at the mammal and notice they were wearing blue overalls and a fox tail. Once Nick saw that he knew who it was. "Wait! That's...

"Nick, I think we should go." Judy said looking a little worried.

Leaving was out of the picture now. The fox had already turned around and saw Nick and Judy. It was now other than Gideon Grey. Out of all the mammals that had to be here, it had to be him.

"You!" Gideon said surprised. Then he switches to having a bit of a devious smirk on his face. "Well well. Look who the bunny drag in? It's the city boy."

"Gideon Grey." Nick said angrily.

 **Oh boy! Looks like there is about to be another fox showdown between Nick and Gideon. How are things gonna end for the two this time? You gonna have to wait to tell the next chapter. Hope you can handle cliffhangers.**


	5. Chapter 5: Nick vs Gideon

**Chapter 5. I got to say. I'm REALLY happy that so many people like this story so far. But I guess when you make the main characters kids, it peaks the interest of some readers. Anyway, for this chapter, Nick and Gideon face-off with each other. Now, I didn't really get into many fights when I was younger. (Not zero.) So I usually don't approve of kids fighting. But I'm doing this for it to be an important part of the story. This will be a good chapter. Let's begin, shall we?**

* * *

There the three of them were near the lakeside, facing each other. Nick, Judy, and the bully, Gideon Grey. Gideon had a cocky smile on his face, while Nick had a very angry glare. Judy stayed behind Nick.

"Heh. Who would have actually thought that our path would cross again?" Gideon said. "The same fox from that time before. And you even seem to know my name. Shame I can't say the same for you."

"My name is Nick. Nick Wilde." Nick said seriously.

"Nick, huh? Well... I don't really care about you name either way." Gideon said.

"Listen, Gideon, we don't want any trouble." Nick stated. "We are just here to sit by the lake and relax."

"Well, maybe I want trouble." Gideon said while walking close to Nick.

"You always got be such a jerk, do you?" Judy said in a bit of a fret.

"Be quiet, bunny." Gideon shouted.

Nick lightly pushed Judy back a bit further away.

"Don't talk to her like that." Nick said angrily.

"Ehhh... why are you protecting her so much?" Gideon asked Nick. "Wait! Don't tell me... you think she's your little girlfriend now, don'tcha?"

"WHAT?!" Nick and Judy shouted out starting to blush a bit.

"NO! IT'S... NOT LIKE THAT." Judy stated blushing.

"Well... actually..." Nick said. "Yes, she is."

"NICK!" Judy said madly blushing and holding her ears down.

"Well... it is true." Nick said scratching the tip of his nose. "Girl... friend... with a space in the middle. A friend who is a girl."

That's why Nick meant. A friend who is a girl. Not 'girlfriend'. Judy seemed to calm down after Nick explained it that way. Nick then went back to the regular focus at hand... ehh... paw.

"Either way. Judy is my friend and that's that." Nick said firmly.

"Hate to break it to you, but is she really your friend?" Gideon asked. "Her kind has always been afraid of us foxes. I bet she's afraid of you right now."

"I am not." Judy said.

"What about me? Are you afraid of me? Just like last time?" Gideon said smirking and walking closer. Judy started to take a few steps back. Nick still defended her.

"I told you before if you lay even a single claw on her..." Nick said glaring at Gideon.

"You wanna know what I think? Your nothing but talk." Gideon said. "That's why you didn't want to fight me, is it... City Boy? You're afraid too."

Nick was a slightly afraid of Gideon, but not completely. He still wasn't phased by Gideon, just like the last time.

"You don't scare me, Gideon." Nick said firmly

Then, just like Judy, Gideon pushed Nick down to the ground. Judy takes a few steps away from them. But was still very scared for Nick.

"Nick!" Judy shouted looking worried.

"Ha! I knew it. City Boy here is nothing but talk." Gideon said laughing.

Nick was not scared, he was very angry. He then double-kicked Gideon right in the gut. Unlike the time Judy kicked Gideon, Nick had a bit more power in his kick. Gideon put his arms around his chest in pain. Now he was REALLY mad at Nick.

"Still think I'm all talk?" Nick said with a smirk as he gets up.

"You're just like Judy, are ya?" Gideon said as he gets his claws out.

"Grrrr..." Nick growled as he gets his claws out too. Nick then looks at Judy. "Judy, stay back."

"But I can..." Judy said wanting to help Nick.

"STAY... BACK!" Nick shouted to her looking serious.

Nick knew if Gideon hurt Judy in any way, Judy's family might think that he did it. If that happens, then he and Judy may never be friends again. He had to protect her. Even though she didn't want to, Judy listened to Nick's words and stayed out of the way. Now without distractions, Nick focused on Gideon.

"Gideon, I'm telling you here and now. We don't have to do this." Nick pleaded.

"I don't believe I'm giving you a choice, am I?" Gideon said.

Next thing to happen was Gideon charging at Nick and tackling him down to the ground. The two wrestled each other trying to overpower the other as Judy watched from a nearby tree. At one point, Nick pinned Gideon down and hold him to try to talk to him again.

"Why are you such a big jerk?" Nick shouted at Gideon.

Things turned when Gideon was the one who pinned down Nick now.

"Guess you can say I was born that way." Gideon stated to Nick.

Nick growled and pushed Gideon away from him. The two of them both got up to their feet and stood back up.

"Born that way? I find that hard to believe." Nick said.

Gideon then tried to claw Nick near his face with both sets of his claws, but Nick stopped him by grabbing him by his arms and holding them hard.

"But you aren't making it easy." Nick stated.

"Grr..." Gideon said while glaring at Nick.

Gideon then stepped on Nick's tail. It hurt Nick enough to make him lose grip on Gideon's arms. With his arms free, Gideon lifted up his left arm and was about to slash at Nick's torso. Nick quickly moved away. But not before trying to slash at him with his claws from his right arm. The two foxes took many steps away from each other after that. Both Nick and Gideon looked unscathed from each other's attack. But Nick looked down on the left side of his shirt and notice that there was a tear on his shirt. No doubt from Gideon's last strike.

"Aw man! My shirt!" Nick shouted a bit upset.

"Ha! Your shirt should be the least of your worries." Gideon said smiling confidently.

"Well... at least we match." Nick said with a smirk.

"Wha..." Gideon said looking down the left sides of his overall. It turns out that Nick was able to make a tear on Gideon's clothes as well. Gideon wasn't too happy about that. "Grrr... these are my favorite overalls."

Nick just shrugged as he smiled confidently. He proved that a city-boy fox can handle himself against a farm-boy fox pretty well. A few bruises and some dirt on him, but handle himself none the less.

"I need to know. Why do you want to be friends with that bunny?" Gideon said. "Don't you get it? Her kind will always be afraid of us foxes. I mean, look at her."

Nick stopped to look at Judy hiding behind the tree. Judy did look pretty scared. Not that she didn't have a good reason. Two foxes fighting it out isn't really the nicest site. Nick started feeling a bit sad. The last thing Nick wanted to do besides hurting Judy was scaring her.

"See? She's scared. Just like I said." Gideon said. "There's just no fighting it. You watched her dumb play too, didn't you? If you did, then you know us predators used to eat her kind. And that killer instinct is still in our DNNAR... DDNNA... D-N-A. Yeah. That's it. DNA." Gideon said pronouncing it right this time. "So there is no point in fighting it. No matter how you look at it, no matter how hard you try, they will always be afraid of us. So there's no point in trying."

"No point in trying?" Nick said. Then Nick thought deep about Gideon's words and what he said. Then he finally put it all together. He realized something. "I get it. I think I finally understand you, Gideon." Nick then looked at Judy. "Judy! I finally get why Gideon acts the way he does."

"Huh?" Judy said looking confused.

"What are you blabbering about? You don't know nuthin about who I am." Gideon stated.

"Oh yeah? Well, tell me if this sounds familiar." Nick said to Gideon. "A little fox lives in a nice little town. People may think he's bad, but he might actually be a pretty good guy. So what's the problem? He was born a fox... in a town full of bunnies."

Gideon was shocked to hear Nick said that. He tried to ignore it and went charging at it.

"You talking a whole bunch of malarkey." Gideon shouted out.

Gideon tried to slash at Nick with his claws again, but Nick dodged it with a tuck-n-roll to his right.

"The fox knew about bunnies fears against his kind. So making friends with them would be difficult." Nick said.

"Stop talking!" Gideon shouted out.

Gideon tried attacking Nick again, but Nick dodged it again with another tuck-n-roll. He still continued to talk.

"He tried to make friends, but everyone saw him as a fox and never really got to know what he's truly like." Nick said. "So eventually, he just gave up and decided to become a bully."

"I SAID STOP TALKING!" Gideon shouted out. It seems that Nick's words were really getting to his fur. Gideon still tried to attack him, but Nick just kept dodging his attacks.

"He thought 'If everyone is gonna be afraid of me, then I as well make them fear me for a reason.' and decided to just be bad." Nick stated. "He gave up on trying to be a good fox and became that fox everyone sees him as."

Judy was a little surprised to hear all that. If what Nick said is true, then it's no wonder why Gideon acted like such a jerk all the time. Gideon looked like he was tearing apart on the inside. Seems that Nick's words were cutting him deeper than his claws.

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" Gideon shouted out before charging at Nick again and pinning him down to the ground. But Nick didn't stop talking

"But he's not the fox everyone thinks he is, is he?" Nick asked. "No one believed in him and he was forced to have doubts that turned into unchecked rage. But deep down, he's still a good person on the inside. I'm right, am I Gideon?"

"No! You're... I..." Gideon couldn't think of the right words.

"I'm right, am I?" Nick shouted out to Gideon while he was still pinned down. "You not as bad as everyone thinks you are bad. You just felt that you had no choice but to be."

Gideon started gritting his teeth. He then raised his right claw up about to attack Nick again.

"Just shut up, will ya? SHUT UP!" Gideon shouted.

"I give you a choice before. So I'm giving you a choice again." Nick said to Gideon. "Prove that I am right. We can stop fighting and just talk things out. See if we can understand each other better. Or prove me wrong and hurt me. Then it will just that tell me that you really are the bully that everyone sees you as. The big jerk fox that everyone is afraid of. So choose."

"Grrrr..." Gideon said in anger.

Gideon raised his paw higher ready to strike at Nick. Judy looked away from what was about to happen. Nick was a bit scared too. He didn't know if he was really right or wrong about Gideon. So he just closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. But after 3 or 4 seconds, nothing happened. Nick opened his eyes again and sees Gideon shaking a bit. Looking a bit sad... or scared himself. Eventually, Gideon anger faded, he put his arm down and got off of Nick.

"I... I can't do this anymore." Gideon said lightly. "I just can't."

Judy was stunned beyond words. Gideon didn't want to fight anymore. Judy then got out from behind the tree. Gideon then offered his paw to help Nick up. Nick accepted it and got back up on his two feet. The two looked at each other and knew that their fight was over.

A few minutes later, Nick, Judy, and Gideon all sat on the big log near the lake together looking at the water. Nick sat in the middle of the log between Judy and Gideon. The three kids were silent for a while. They didn't really know what to say to each other. Nick looked at Gideon and spoke out to him.

"Alright, Gid. Talk to us." Nick said. "I promise you, no one's gonna judge you or anything like that. We just want to hear your side of the story."

Gideon takes a deep breath and then breath out before he spoke. "You were right about me, City Boy. You were right about everything. I'm a fox born in a town full of bunnies." Gideon said. "Do you know how hard it is to be a fox in a town like Bunnyburrow?"

Nick got off from the log and grabbed one the stone pebbles near the lake. "Must be rough for foxes like you and your family." Nick said. Nick then threw the stone into the water and it skipped about 7 times before sinking into the water.

"Exactly." Gideon said getting off from the log and grabbing a stone pebble. "They hear a few stories and they mark ALL foxes as bad." Gideon then threw the stone, but it quickly sunk to the bottom without even one skip. Gideon looked a bit upset about but quickly got over it. "Judy, you know what I'm talking about."

"It's true." Judy said not looking too happy and with her eyes down. "Mom and dad are always telling me to stay away from foxes and not to trust them." Judy then got off from the log and grabbed a pebble liked Nick and Gideon did. "For a while, I thought they were right and you were one of them. But after I met Nick and found out how you truly feel, I realized I was wrong... again." Judy then threw the pebble and it skipped six times before sinking into the water.

"Well, it's not like I wasn't mean to you or tried to hurt you." Gideon said. "It's just that... it's hard."

"I get it. Sometimes it just easier if everyone sees you as a fox that they think you are." Nick said. "I felt the same way a few times."

"Really?" Gideon and Judy said looking surprised.

"I'll be honest with you guys. Zootopia isn't as peaceful as everyone thinks it is." Nick stated. "Both prey and predators still go at each other everything now and then. Some mammals still think negative about us foxes there too." Nick then grabbed another pebble. "There are still places us foxes aren't even allowed to go in." Nick threw the pebble and it skipped nine times before sinking into the water.

"That... pretty sad. It's hard to believe people in Zootopia don't see the good in some foxes either." Judy said.

"See? Isn't that just so frustrating." Gideon said as he gets another pebble. "They take one look at our fangs, claws, and fur and automatically think the worst of us." Gideon threw the pebble into the water and it quickly sunk into the water, like the last one. Gideon was upset again but quickly got over it like before.

"I can't say you're wrong about that. But that also the case for other mammals." Nick stated.

"Right. The sad thing is... animals only see others and themselves as the animals they are." Judy said as she picked up another pebble. "Never trying to be anything more." Judy then throws that pebble and it skipped about eleven times before sinking into the water. "At least that how most mammals see themselves. I strongly believe each of us can be... so much more."

"Yeah. Well, that's easier said than done." Gideon stated grabbing another pebble. "You can work as hard as you want, but no matter how hard you tried, everyone will only see you as who you are on the outside." Gideon threw the pebble in the water and once again, it sunk down to the bottom with even one skip. This time, it really seems to upset Gideon. "GAAAHH! I can't even to get these get these stupid pebbles to skip."

"It's... all on the wrist." Nick stated while trying to calm Gideon down. "Like you both said, most mammals only see us as what we are. But it doesn't define WHO we are." Nick then looked at Gideon. "Gideon, how would your folks feel if they found out about you being a bully and harassing bunnies and other mammals?"

"Well, I reckon... they wouldn't be too happy about it." Gideon said looking down. "Knowing my mama, she would pull at my ears and scorn me all day. While my pa would get his belt out and spank my bottom with it til it's sorer than on a Sunday morning."

Nick and Judy felt scared for Gideon after hearing that.

"That... sounds worse than anything you have ever done to anyone." Judy said.

"Other than that... scary punishment, you say that your parents wouldn't like you to be a bully." Nick said.

"No. They wouldn't. They would just be disappointed in me." Gideon said. "And that stings even more than pa's belt ever would."

"So, you're done with being a bully?" Judy asked.

"Yes. I don't want to be one anymore." Gideon answered.

"Good choice." Nick said. "So... now that you are done being a bully, is there something else that you like to do... besides hurting other mammals?"

"Well... there is one thing. But I don't want to say what." Gideon said looking embarrassed to say what.

"Come on Gid. I already told you. The two of us are not here to judge you. Right, Judy?" Nick said.

"Right. So you can tell us." Judy said.

"Well... I..." Gideon felt really nervous to tell them, but he still decided to tell them. "I like baking. I want to be a baker when I grow up."

Tough little Gideon wanted to be a baker? This surprised Nick and Judy beyond words.

"A baker?" Nick and Judy said still looking stunned.

"See? I knew I shouldn't have said anything." Gideon said crossing his arm.

"No. No. It's just that... after the way you were treating us... baker was the last thing on our minds." Judy admitted. "Actually, I think being a baker is pretty cool."

"Yeah. Me too." Nick said smiling a bit. "What some of the stuff you make?"

"Just the usual cakes and pies." Gideon said.

"Can you make a blueberry pie." Nick asked looking curious.

"In my sleep." Gideon said proudly.

"I think the two of us are gonna be BFF now. Best Fox Friends." Nick said with a wide smile after Gideon mentioning he can make a good blueberry pie.

"Hahaha! Do you just become friends with anyone when blueberries involved?" Judy said joking a bit.

"I told you already. I LOVE blueberries." Nick stated happily. "If Gideon used your family's blueberries and baked it into a pie, I have no doubt it would be the best pie in the world."

"Haha! You're making some pretty big assumptions there, City Boy." Gideon said. "Sure I want to be a baker and maybe become one of the best bakers in the whole Tri-burrows. But... I am still a fox. No doubt people will just see like that and nothing more."

Gideon started looking sad again. Nick then said something to him.

"Gideon, can I tell you something." Nick said. "It's some advice that my pop said to me. The mammal that you are born as doesn't define who you are. That goes for all mammals. Pigs aren't really slobs. Raccoons aren't really thieves. Elephants may not really be good at remembering everything. In the end, no mammal is really what everyone thinks they are." Nick picked up another pebble from the ground. "Mammals like us have to work twice as hard or even more to make others see us differently. It may seem hard, but it's easy if you are willing to take it one step at a time. After that, it's up to us to see how far we can go." Nick then, with a lot of force, threw the pebble at the water and it skipped so much that it actually went all the way to the other side of the lake. This surprised Judy and Gideon. "Heh. Can you believe I've never actually done this before?" Nick said boasting a bit.

"That's... actually some mighty good advice there." Gideon said as he picks up another stone from the ground. "The first step, huh?" Gideon then threw the pebble into the water and this time, it skipped... one time before it sunk into the water. In a way, he was a bit upset, but at least he got one a pebble to skip at least once.

"Ah ha ha ha... just think of that as the first step." Nick said.

"Ha... right." Gideon said smiling while scratching the back of his head.

"Your real first step should be apologizing to everyone you bullied." Judy said to Gideon.

"Apologizing to everyone... is not gonna be easy." Gideon said.

"That's the point. It's not supposed to be easy." Nick said. "You just got to work really hard. Remember what we talked about."

"I will. Thank you, City Bo... I mean... thank you, Nick." Gideon said before offering his paw.

"No problem, Gideon." Nick said as he shook Gideon's paw. "Us foxes got to stick together, right."

"Right." Gideon said before letting go of Nick's paw. "Also... sorry for the whole... fighting thing and scratching your shirt."

"Ehh. Don't sweat it. Pop's a tailor, so he can fix this up real quick." Nick said not holding a grudge.

Gideon then walked over to Judy now.

"Judy, I'm... really sorry for everything. Especially for the day before." Gideon said. "I've been a jerk. A really... really... HUGE jerk."

"Yes, you have. But at least I now understand why. " Judy said. "I forgive you. Just as long as you promise not to do it again AND apologize to everyone."

"I will. Promise." Gideon said. "One more thing. About you wanting to become a cop, honestly... I still think is gonna be nearly impossible for you."

"Where are you going with this?" Judy asked crossing her arms and starting to look mad.

"HOWEVER, if there is any bunny that's could prove me wrong, it's you." Gideon said.

"Oh. Well... that's... actually nice of you to say." Judy said.

"Yeah. Well, it's the least I could say." Gideon said. "Guess... I better get started with those apologies. I'll see you around, Judy. You too, Nick."

"Goodbye Gideon." Judy said.

"Take care, dude." Nick said.

With that said, Gideon left Nick and Judy and was off to start turning his life around. Nick and Judy were happy. Sure things were a bit rough at first, but they all got to understand each other better. After Gideon was out of eyesight, Nick sighed for relief that everything worked out.

"Nick! That was amazing!" Judy said to Nick. "You actually got someone like Gideon to open up. I never thought something like that was possible."

"Uhh... thank goodness I was right again." Nick said relieved. "I feel like I have just been lucky at this point. But I'm glad it's over."

"Yeah. For a while, I thought Gideon was as bad as foxes could be. But you actually figured out who he really was on the inside and made him want to change." Judy said. "I could never guess how Gideon felt this whole time. How did you?"

"I just pick up on things naturally." Nick said. "Or maybe it's because we are both foxes and we can understand each other. Or maybe... it's because... sometimes I feel the same way Gideon felt." Nick then started looking a bit depressed.

"Oh, Nick." Judy said a little sad. "Do you really feel that way sometimes?"

"Yeah. But like I told you before, don't worry about me." Nick said to Judy. Nick then starting recalling how scared Judy look when he was fighting with Gideon. "Judy... I'm really sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Judy asked.

"I'm sorry if I scared you during the fight." Nick said looking sad. "I didn't want you to see me like that. Cause scaring you is the last thing that I ever want to do. I understand if you don't really want to be friends with me."

Judy walked a little closer to Nick.

"Nick. Yes. I was scared. But I wasn't scared of you. I was scared 'for' you." Judy said to Nick. "I was scared that you would have gotten really hurt. All because you wanted to protect me. So... if anyone should say sorry, it's me. I'm sorry, Nick."

Nick couldn't believe what Judy was saying. She was sorry? What did she have to be sorry for? Nick chose to protect Judy out of his own free will.

"You may be a fox, but like I said before, you are my friend." Judy said. "So I promise you, I will NEVER be scared you. Ever."

"Thanks, Judy." Nick said with a smile. "Thank you for being my friend."

"Come on. I should be the one saying things like that." Judy said twittering her paws. "Anyway, we've been out for a while now. Our parents might be worried about us."

"Right. Guess we better get going before your family thinks that I 'ate' you." Nick said doing air quotes at the "ate" part.

"They should all be at our house. I'll take you there." Judy said.

"Okay then. Let's go." Nick said. He then held out his paw offering Judy to hold it. This surprised Judy a bit. "You don't HAVE to hold my paw if you don't want to."

"You're right. I don't HAVE to." Judy said with a smile. She then decided to hold his paw. "I WANT to."

When Judy held Nick's paw, she didn't know that his paws would feel so soft and warm.

"Wow... I didn't realize that your paws would be so soft." Judy said.

"It's the moisturizer I use." Nick said while blushing a bit and scratching the back of his head.

So Judy took Nick to the Hoops house, holding paws the entire way there. After a while, they finally made it to the Hoops house. It was a HUGE house that was at least 4 stories. The back of the house has like this grass dorm with many windows on it. So it can be said that the house had MANY rooms. Nick's jaw dropped when he saw Judy's house.

"This is my house." Judy said.

"THIS is your house?!" Nick shouted in surprise. "You wanna know what we call houses like this? A hotel. A entire apartment complex. A MANSION! Your house is HUGE!"

"Well, I told you I had a big family." Judy said. "Now come on."

"O... kay." Nick said looking a bit nervous.

The two went inside the house and it seemed that the halls were filled with all of Judy's brothers and sisters. Nick was surprised to see so many bunnies.

"This... is a lively place." Nick stated. "How do you find each other in a crowd like this?"

"We all have a system. I'll tell you about it some other time." Judy said.

"JUDY!" Someone shouted.

"Huh?" Judy said looking around to see who called her.

The bunny who called her was one of Judy's brothers. A dark brown boy bunny around her age and a little taller. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and jeans. He had a worried look on his face.

"August? What's wrong?" Judy asked.

"Dad... Mr. Wilde... living room... they... they..." August said shuttering.

"Our dads?!" Nick said looking worried. "Oh no! Did something happen?"

"Come on! Let's hurry!" Judy said.

Judy and Nick ran to the living room where both of their parents resign. They were thinking that Judy's dad, Stu and Nick's dad, John got into a fight with each other or something. They make it to the doorway of the living room and shouted.

"Dad! Are you o... huh?" Nick and Judy shouted before looking at the room.

To their surprised, their parent was in the room, but they weren't fighting each other. There was laughter. Both Stu and John seem to be laughing really loudly, while Francine and Bonnie seem to pretend to laugh a bit.

"No, wait. I got another one." John said to Stu. "What do you call... a car parked in Tundratown?"

"I don't know. What do you call a car parked in Tundratown?" Stu asked.

"Frozen!" John answered.

Then both John and Stu burst into laughter.

"Get it? Cause it's cold in Tundratown. Freezing even." John said laughing

"That's a really good one." Stu said laughing.

"Uhhh..." Judy said confused on what was going on. August then came from behind her.

"They have been telling 'dad jokes' for the past hour." August stated. "The rest of us can't take it anymore."

"So that's the big emergency. Dad jokes." Judy said looking a bit disappointed.

She was expecting something more serious. As cheesy as the jokes were. Nick, however, didn't seem to find the joke cheesy on the fact that he was laughing a bit.

"Hahaha! Frozen. Cause it's so cold in Tundratown all the time." Nick said.

Judy just shook her head. She couldn't believe that Nick actually liked that joke. The parents finally notice that their kids are here.

"Oh. Nick sweetie. There you are." Francine said.

"Hey, son. Did you enjoy looking around the farm?" John asked.

"Yeah! Judy's a great guide." Nick said.

"Glad to hear that." Bonnie said.

"See? You guys didn't have to worry about me." Judy said. "It seems that even you guys got along well too."

"Things were a little rocky at first, but after a while... we found out we have a lot in common." Stu said.

"Even though they are foxes?" Judy asked with a sly look on her face.

"Even though they are foxes." Stu answered. "Guess we still have a lot to learn about things."

"Glad you are willing to learn, Stu." John said. John then looked at the kids. "So kids, did anything excited happen?"

"Ehhhhh..." Nick and Judy said not wanting to mention the fight. "Nothing. Nothing really."

After a while, it was getting late. The sun was getting close to setting and it was getting really wait. Nick and his parents had to get back to Zootopia. So Nick with his parents, as well as Judy with her parents were outside of the house ready to say their goodbyes.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Francine said. "You make this family of foxes happy.

"Oh. Before you go, Judy told us a little something." Bonnie said getting out a basket of blueberries. "Judy said you were quite a fan of these."

"Blueberries!" Nick and John shouted happily.

Both Nick and John take a few blueberries and ate them. They both enjoyed them.

"Mmmm... sooooo good." Nick and John said loving the blueberries.

"What do we say, boys?" Francine said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hopps." Both Nick and John said.

Nick then grabbed the basket of blueberries to hold. Now Nick looked at Judy.

"So... I guess this is goodbye... again." Nick said looking a little sad.

"Yeah. Wish you can stay a bit longer, but you got to go back to Zootopia." Judy said looking sad as well.

"And you got to stay here. So... it may be a while before we actually see each other again." Nick stated.

Both Nick and Judy were really sad. They already have become really good, but now they said goodbye again. Both Nick and Judy's parent noticed and then they both happily nodded at each other.

"Say... Stu, I think we have a problem here." John said. "It seems that our children have gotten quite fond of each other. I also have to say, the Mrs. and I have gotten quite fond of you two as well."

"Bon and I can say the same. So what should we do?" Stu asked.

"Well, all of us living in different places doesn't mean we can't visit each other every now and then." Francine said. "Let's say... next week?"

Hearing that, Nick and Judy both had their heads up.

"That sounds like a great idea." Bonnie said. "But how about next time we visit you up at Zootopia?"

"WOAH! REALLY?!" Judy shouted looking exciting.

"Woah! Woah! Hold on a minute. What are you guys saying?" Nick asked them.

"We're saying... maybe we should visit each other once a week. That way, you two won't have to say goodbye for so long." Francine said. "That is... if it's okay with you kids?"

Nick's parents and Judy's parents were suggesting that they visit each other once a week. Some days, Nick's family may visit the Hopps in Bunnyburrow. Some days, Judy's family may visit the Wildes in Zootopia. Either way, this means that Nick and Judy would see each other at least once a week. So with that said, Nick and Judy were really happy to hear their parent say that.

"Yes! Of course!" Nick and Judy said happily.

"Just as long as you both promise to be good." John said. "That means good grades and no bad behavior, okay?"

"We will. We promise." Both Nick and Judy said.

"Well, then it's settled." John said. John then gave Stu a business called with a phone number on it. "Here's our number. Call us and we'll plan some things during your stay."

"You know... I've actually always wanted to go to Zootopia." Stu admitted. "But it's such a big city for a couple of country bunnies like us."

"We'll show you around. The city is not as scary as you think it would be." Francine said with a smile.

"Thank you for the offer." Bonnie said happily.

"Alright. It's time for us to get going." John said. "Thanks again for the everything."

"You take care, now." Stu said.

Before leaving, Nick said one more thing to Judy.

"So... see ya next week, Carrots?" Nick asked Judy.

"See ya next week." Judy answered with a smile.

With that said and still holding the basket of blueberries, Nick said goodbye to Judy walk with his parents having a wide smile on his face. He knew that this wasn't really goodbye. Just a "Til next week...". Nick was pretty excited. He couldn't wait next week to see Judy again.

 **And that's how the Wildes-Hopps once-a-week visit begins. That's all for this chapter. So now that the families have become friends, Judy and her family will visit Zootopia for the first time (Obviously not based on the original canon). So, how will things be for Judy's first visit in Zootopia. Find out in the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6: Hopps in the Big City Part 1

**Alright, Chapter 6. I'm trying to have motivation for keeping this story going and update at least once a week. So far, I have been doing great to keep it that way. But this week may change since the new Yo-kai Watch 2 games came out and I plan to play them a LOT. Not saying that won't be doing any writing. Just mostly gaming. For this chapter, it will be Judy's family visiting Nick and his parents for the first time in Zootopia. They go to see Nick's family shop and their house, as well as some of the sights in the city. Nick spends some more time with Judy as well as some of her siblings. Well, enough chitchat. Let the chapter begin.**

* * *

It's been one week since Nick and his folks visited Judy's family at Bunnyburrow. After that, they all decided to visit each other at least once a week. Today was the day that the Hopps visit Zootopia by train. The Wildes were currently waiting at the train stations for the Hopps family's arrival. Since it was their first time in the city, the Wildes decided to dress in style. John was wearing a nice blue suit with a red tie. Francine was wearing a violet sweater and a blue skirt. Nick was wearing a white dress shirt, a black tie, and tan suit pants. Nick had a very big smile on his face as he was waiting for the train to arrive.

"When is the train arriving? It's coming, right?" Nick asked his folks looking overexcited.

"It will be here, sweetie. Just be patient." Francine said to Nick.

Francine was right. As she said that, the train was just arriving.

"See? Here's the train now." Francine said.

The train made a complete stop and the passengers started to get off the train. A few of them were bunnies, but Nick didn't know if any of them were the Hopps or not. He also didn't see Judy out of anyone in the crowd. So he tried catching her scent. After a few seconds, he was able to catch it.

"That's her scent." Nick thought.

Then at that moment, Judy got off of the train with a few of her siblings.

"Jud..." Nick shouted out. He stopped halfway when he realized what Judy was wearing.

Judy was wearing a light blue dress and had a light blue bow on her head. It looks like the bow kept her ears down. Seeing Judy in such a cute outfit... made Nick try hard not to laugh. Judy looked around and was happy to see Nick.

"Nick!" Judy shouted happily while waving a bit. She then walked over to Nick.

"Judy! Hehe! Nice to... hehe... see you again." Nick said still trying to hold back his laughter.

"You're laughing because of my outfit, are you?" Judy stated looking unamused. "Mom and dad made me wear this. Since this is our first time in the city, they wanted me to look decent."

"Our parents think alike." Nick said. "That's why mom and dad have me wearing this tie." Nick was holding his tie and didn't seem to happy about wearing one. "Pop said that since I'm a Wilde, one day I would like wearing ties so much that I would wear them almost every day. But I don't really see that ever happening. Am I even wearing this thing right?"

"You look okay to me." Judy said.

"Thanks!" Nick said with a smile. "Nice bow. You look really cute with it."

You think with the word "cute", Judy would be happy to hear that. But instead, she puffed up her cheeks and looked a bit mad. Nick was a bit confused why.

"What?" Nick asked.

"You not suppose to call a bunny cute." Judy stated.

"Seriously?" Nick said looking a little surprised.

"Yes. Only another bunny can call a bunny cute." Judy stated to Nick.

"You do realize that with that outfit and your age it is nearly impossible to NOT say you are cute." Nick stated with a smirk.

"Stop it, Nick." Judy said started to looking poutier. "How would you like it if I called you cute?"

"Go ahead." Nick said waiting for Judy to make a comment.

"On second thought, I don't think I will." Judy said. "You looking like you would actually enjoy it too much."

"Aww. You bunnies are no fun." Nick said joking around a bit.

At that moment, John and Francine walked over to greet Judy.

"Hello there, Judy." John said greeting the little bunny.

"Good to see that you are well." Francine said.

"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde. Great to see you again." Judy said politely and bowing down.

From behind Judy, came her parents and 30 or so of Judy's siblings.

"Heeey! John the Don! Good to see ya." Stu said giving John a nickname.

"Cool Stu! Welcome!" John said giving Stu a nickname as well as he shakes his paw.

"Looks like they already have nicknames for each other now." Nick said.

"Don't know how I feel about that." Judy said. Judy then grabbed Nick's arm. "Come on, Nick. I want to introduce you to a few of my siblings."

Judy takes Nick to where her brothers and sisters were standing. Some were taller than Judy. Some were shorter than Judy. Many of them were between the ages of 6 and 11.

"Everyone, if you didn't already know, this is my friend, Nick." Judy said.

"Umm... hi." Nick said looking a little shy.

Nick didn't really know how to feel. Sure they were all Judy's siblings, but he was a fox. For all he knew, they may think that he would be this scary fox to keep an eye on. But those thoughts went away when one of Judy's brother rushed over to him. The bunny was golden brown and were a blue polo shirt and khaki pants.

"Heyya! Nice to finally meet ya." The bunny said happily as he rapidly shakes Nick's paw. "So, you're the fox boy that sis goes on and on about. My name's Greg."

"Uhhh... nice to... meet you." Nick said as Greg continues to shake his paw. "You... can... stop... shaking... my paw... now."

"Oh sorry." Greg said as he stops. "It's just that I really wanted to meet you."

"Th... thanks." Nick said a bit surprised to hear that. "Since your name is Greg, that must mean you were one of the bunnies born in the same litter as Judy. If I remember, you were born right before Judy."

"Oh! Well, look at you. Already knowing stuff about our family." Greg stated looking impressed. "You're correct. I was the third born in that litter, while Judy was fourth."

"Hmm." Nick simply said.

"By the way, Judy told us all that you were the one who stood up to Gideon Grey, not once, but twice." Greg said. "That's amazing. None of us would stand to Gideon and we're her brothers and sisters. You're really some awesome fox."

"Uhh... thanks. But it was really nothing." Nick said being modest. "Besides, Gideon's not that bad of a guy once you get to know him."

Next, a light grey girl bunny wearing glasses came over to Nick. She was wearing a pink dress and a white sweater over it. She was also carrying a purple book with her.

"Greeting, Nicholas." The bunny said. "I'm Wendy. Please to meet you."

"Hey there. Just call me Nick." Nick told her.

"Very well, Nick." Wendy said. Wendy then got closer to Nick and observed him a bit. She looked at his paws, his tail, and then open his mouth a bit to look at Nick's teeth. "Hmmm. Most interesting."

"Wha.. what?" Nick said as Wendy was still looking at her mouth.

"You seem to have all the features that dad told us foxes have. But... you don't really seem scary at all, looking at you closely." Wendy stated.

"Umm... thank you?" Nick said not sure how to feel about that comment.

"Wendy can be quite observant. She's also really smart for her age." Judy said.

Then another one of Judy's sister came over to Nick. She was a white bunny wearing a yellow dress and had a flower near one of her ears. She... was currently hugging Nick's fluffy tail.

"Wow! Your tail is so fuzzy and warm." The bunny said as she hugged Nick's tail. "I had no idea fox's tail were like this."

"Glad you think that... but do you mind letting go?" Nick asked her started to feel embarrassed.

"Oh. So sorry." The bunny said letting go of Nick's tail. "I should tell you who I am. I'm..."

"Wait! Let me guess." Nick said wanting to test himself. "White Fur. Around our age. A flower on your head. You must be Daisy. The last one born in the same litter as Judy, right?"

"Eeeeeeee!" The bunny shouted excitedly. "You got it. I'm Daisy. I'm surprised you got it right."

"Well, Judy did tell me about some of you guys. I'm just trying to do my best to remember everyone." Nick stated.

At that moment, Daisy started to get a little closer to Nick.

"Now that I look at you closer, you're actually kinda cute for a fox." Daisy stated with a smile.

"What?" Nick shouted started to blush a bit.

"Daisy!" Judy shouted out looking a bit mad.

"Well, he is." Daisy said while shrugging. "With all of grandpa's stories, I thought foxes were scary and always bearing their fangs. But he's nothing like that at all. Just a nice looking fox. He's also pretty tall for someone our age."

Nick had a pretty wide smile on his face.

"Why thank you!" Nick said. He then looked at Judy with a smirk. "See Judy? Daisy calls me cute and I don't mind one bit."

"Yeah. You're adorable." Judy said sarcastically.

At that moment, more of Judy's brothers and sisters started to surround Nick.

"So you really are a nice fox. Cool."

"I'm Roger. Hey there."

"I'm Allison. Hello!"

"Call me Zippy!"

"Eric's mine name."

"I'm Mindy."

"Hilda."

"Cooper."

"Hang guys! Easy. I'm feeling pretty cramp with all you around me like this." Nick stated to all of them.

It seems like Nick was actually getting pretty well-liked by Judy's siblings. Maybe a little bit more than Nick expected. Both parents seem to be okay with it.

"Looks like the children all seem to like Nick." Bonnie said.

"Our boy is a little social butterfly." Francine said smiling.

"Alright, kids. Give the boy some space." Stu said. "Remember, we all came to the city, not only to see our friends here, but to see the sights as well."

"I'm so excited to be here." Judy said very happily.

"First things first. Let's all head to our little home." John said.

"Come on, everyone." Nick said as he holds Judy's paw. Judy happily nodded.

So the Wildes and the Hopps began to leave the train station. As they walk by, the Hopps were all surprised to see so many different mammals. From the tallest of giraffes to the smallest of mice, they were all here in Zootopia. Many of these mammals that the Hopps have never actually seen before. Stu, Bonnie and most of their kids looked nervous. But not Judy. Judy was very excited. She always dreamed of going here and now her dream has finally come true. The group finally exit the train station and got a view of all of the tall building and busybodies walking place to place in the city.

"Everyone, welcome to Zootopia." Nick said to everyone proudly.

For a family of bunnies who lived in a town like Bunnyburrow, being in a city like Zootopia was beyond overwhelming. Judy couldn't think of what to say. But one simple word did come to mind.

"Wow." Judy said smiling.

Nick looked at Judy as he still held on to her paw and saw the smile that she had. Nick really like the feeling he had seeing Judy's so happy. After a few minutes of walking and checking out some of the sites Downtown, the Wildes took the Hoops near the street of a two-store building with the number 108 was on the door. The building looked a little old but fixed up pretty well.

"See that building over there?" John asked. "That's our shop, Wilde and Son. For all your suit and tailoring needs."

"It's also our house." Nick said. "We have the shop on the first floor, while we live on top of the second floor."

"So the building is not only your shop but your home too." Judy said. "It's like a two-in-one building."

"Correct." John said.

"It may not seem much, but that doesn't matter to us." Francine said.

In front of the house, it looked like someone was waiting for them. The mammal was a male wolverine in a brown sweater vest and white pants and glasses on. He was holding a full black suit in his arms. He looked around the same high as John.

"Who's that?" Stu asked looking concerned.

"Oh. That's one of our regulars." John said. "Guess he was waiting for us. Come on. I'll introduce you all to him."

The group all walked to the wolverine.

"Oh. Well if it isn't the Wildes. Bout time you got here." The Wolverine said.

"Harvey Wolven. Let me guess. Some tears in your suit again?" John asked.

"You know me too well." Harvey said before chuckling a bit.

"I swear. What would you do without me and my tailoring?" John asked.

"I'd be wearing tattered clothes or you would have one less customer helping you pay those bills." Harvey stated.

"Fair enough." John said shrugging a bit.

Harvey then happens to notice the huge family of bunnies right behind the Wildes.

"Uhhh... who are all these bunnies with you?" Harvey asked. "Are they all customers?"

"Actually Harv, these are our friends, the Hopps. They came all the way from Bunnyburrow to pay us a visit and look at the city." John said.

The wolverine eyes widen as he heard that. Then he started to do some very hearty laughter.

"A family of foxes being friends with a family of bunnies? Now I've seen everything." Harvey said laughing.

"Oh hardy har, Harv." John said.

"So, how did you meet them?" Harvey asked.

"Our little Nick became really good friends with their daughter, Judy." Francine said. Judy waved a bit to Harvey.

"Well, it's good to hear that lil Nick here is making friends." Harvey said as he walks over to Nick and pets his head.

"Thank you, Uncle Harvey." Nick said with a smile.

"You bunnies couldn't pick better foxes to be friends with than Honest John and his family here." Harvey said.

"Honest John?" Judy asked curiously.

"One of my pop's nicknames." Nick stated to Judy.

"Around these parts, everyone who knows Johnny either calls him Honest John or Wide Smile Wilde." Harvey said. "Honest John for him always being honest or Wide Smile Wilde for that big wide smile he's always given. There is no fox or mammal in this city that's more honest than this guy."

"Come on. Don't talk so highly of me." John said feeling a bit embarrassed.

"See? Modest too." Harvey said smiling.

"Alright. Alright. I think that's enough talking for now." John said as he gets his keys out. "How about we all head in now?"

John put the key in the door and push it open. The shop was filled with different suits, ties, threads, one or two sewing machines, and some other stuff for tailoring. Overall, it was a nice little shop.

"*whistle* You have a lot of stuff here, John." Stu said.

"Well, he is a tailor, after all." Bonnie said to Stu.

John then took Harvey's suit and was about to begin working on it.

"Frankie, do you mind help me out with the pants here?" John asked his wife.

"Sure thing, dear." Frankie said. "Nick, how about you show all our guests around the house."

"Okay, mom." Nick said while nodding. "Come on everyone."

So while John and Francine were doing work, Nick showed Judy and her family around the house. He also decided to explain a bit about the place.

"Now I know our house isn't as big as your house or like the other houses in the Burrows, but I hope you find everything okay." Nick said to them. "The first floor is our family's shop, but in the back is our kitchen and dining room. Downstairs is the basement and pop's workshop. Upstairs, is the living room, our bedrooms, bathroom, and a spare room that mom and pop used for storage at the moment."

Nick then led the Hoops to the stairs.

"Let's head up." Nick said.

"Okay." Judy said.

A few of the Hopps seemed a little nervous. It was like a predator was leading their prey to their den. The irony is... that was the actual case. After climbing all the stairs, they all made it to the living room of the house.

"We're here." Nick shouted out to everyone. "Here's the living room."

Now the Wildes' living room was pretty basic and surprisingly clean. They had a big ol' couch, a chair that reclined, a TV, a small table with a few vase and some magazines on it. There were also a few pictures of the Wildes hanging on the walls looking pretty happy.

"I hope you find everything okay." Nick said to everyone.

Judy was first to walk into the room and observing everything.

"Old vintage styled wallpaper..." Judy said looking at the walls. She then stepped down on the wooden floor and heard it squeak. "Squeaky floors..." Judy then went to the couch and sat on it. "Very springy couch..."

"I know. Most of the things in this house are pretty old, but..." Nick said.

"I LOVE it!" Judy said happily.

Nick was surprised to hear that. But was also relieved that Judy found his home to be okay.

"This house is so... nice, simple and cozy." Judy stated she then started to bounce on the couch. She looked like she was having fun. "Heehee! Your couch is so much bouncier than our couch."

"That looks fun." One of Judy's sisters said.

"I want a turn." One of Judy's brothers said.

"Me too." Another one of Judy's sisters said.

Then five of the Hopps kids started to hop on the couch with Judy. Nick started laughing a bit. He actually did the same thing a few times.

"Kids, stop hopping on the Wilde's couch." Stu said to them.

"Remember, we're guests at their home." Bonnie said.

"Okay..." The kids said disappointedly as they stopped bouncing on the couch.

Judy then looked at one of the counters and saw a picture frame with a photo in it. She picks up the photo and sees Nick a bit younger with his parents and other foxes with him.

"Hey, Nick! What's this photo of?" Judy asked.

"Oh!" Nick said as he walks over to Judy. "That's a picture of our last reunion. I was... like 5. Maybe 6 when we took that picture. There's mom and pop, my uncles, my aunts, a few of my cousins, oh and my gram-gram and pop-pop."

"What a nice photo." Judy said with a smile.

"Thanks. I know my family not as big as your family tho." Nick said.

"That's a blessing." Greg said. "Do you know how a family photo is for us?"

"3 to 4 hours of waiting and making sure that everyone is in the shot." Wendy stated. "By then, everyone starts whining about how long we were standing or sitting on that bench. Then the had to take about another 6 or 7 shots before the photo is actually perfect. How long did it take for you and your family?"

"Uhhhh... about... 3 minutes in one take." Nick said thinking about it.

"Lucky!" Judy and all her sibling said at the same time.

"Hahaha!" Nick just laughed.

One of Judy's brother, with dark grey fur and a white shirt on and blue pants, Eric, looked where the TV was and saw a game system on the floor. It was a black and blue colored system that used cartridges (similar to a Sega Genesis). There were also a few games on the counter. Eric seems to be really stunned when he saw the system.

"Wait! Nick... is this... Zooga Genesis 2X?" Eric asked.

"Yeah. I know it's an old system, but I don't have anything else." Nick said.

"Are you kidding me? I always wanted to play this." Eric said happily. He then started to look at some of the games Nick owned. "Burrow Digger. Space Battlers. Lionblaze. *gasp* ZOO FIGHTER 2!?"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Greg said surprised. He then dashes over to Eric and picks up the cartridges. "NO... WAY! I've didn't even know people actually had this game. None of my friends in Bunnyburrow had this. Some didn't even believe it even exists. But here it is... in my paws."

"That's actually my favorite games. I always play it with my dad, but most of the time he's been too busy to play with me." Nick said.

"Can we play it? Pleeeeease?" Eric and Greg pleaded to Nick.

"I don't see why not. Start it up." Nick said happily.

"Awesome!" Eric and Greg shouted out excited.

Nick, Eric, and Greg turned the TV on, insert the cartridge into the system, and then turned it on. They seemed excited but, Judy didn't seem to happy.

"Guys! Come on. We're in Zootopia. I want to see the sights." Judy said.

"The city's not going anyway." Nick said as he grabs a controller. "Besides, you guys are staying for a couple of hours, right? We have plenty of time for a round or two."

"Yeah! Plenty of time." Eric said grabbing the second controller.

"But..." Judy said before she got hauled.

"Now now, Jude. They're right. We won't be leaving for a couple of hours. We might as well stay here for a bit." Stu said.

"Well... alright." Judy said.

With that said, Nick and Eric were already ready to play. The TV had the game's title, Zoo Fighter 2, was on the screen and Nick pressed start. Then there were on the character selection scene, and both Nick and Eric scrolled around to select their characters.

"Now, I know you may have had a lot of time to practice at this game. But that doesn't mean I want you to hold back." Eric said to Nick. "Come at me with everything you got, pal. I'll crush you at this game."

"Good luck with that." Nick said not looking too worried.

They selected their character and begin playing. They played the game for a while and Nick DOMINATED everyone who went against him. All of Judy's siblings that played him didn't stand a chance. They didn't even beat him in round one. Judy's brother, Greg, was next to get beat.

"K...O!" The game announcer said.

"How is it that NONE of us even came CLOSE to beating you in this game?" Greg shouted in a bit of a fret.

"I'm a expert at this game. You bunnies can't beat me." Nick said with a sly smile.

"One MORE round!" Greg shouted at Nick.

"Guuuuyyyys! You have been playing for an hour." Judy said looking bored as she laid on the couch.

"Just one more round." Nick said to Judy.

"You said that 10 rounds ago." Judy said as she groaned. "Come on. This is our first time in Zootopia. THE big city. How can none of you want to see the sights?"

"Of course we do. But like we said, the city is not going anywhere." Greg said to Judy.

"Don't worry. I'll promise you that I will show you and your brothers and sisters all the sights I can." Nick said. "Just... as soon as we're done playing."

Judy was still in a fret. She didn't want to wait for them any longer. She got off the couch and then went to the plug outlet and unplugged the TV and the game system. This upset everyone else.

"HEEEEEYYYY!" Nick and some of Judy's brothers shouted out madly.

"Looks like you're done." Judy said smirking while holding the plugs.

"Not cool, Carrots! Not... Cool." Nick said still looking mad at Judy. Nick then was calmer. "Fine. I guess we HAVE been playing for a while." Nick then got up from the floor.

"So... can we look around the city now? Pleeeese?" Judy begged Nick.

"Alright." Nick said with a smile.

"Finally." Judy shouted happily and hopped up and down.

A few minutes later, John locked up the shop and put a closed sign on the door. Everyone was outside now of the shop now.

"Okay Stu and Bonnie, how about me and the Misses here show you all of our favorite spots while Nick shows the little ones around his favorite spots.?" John asked.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Stu asked looking concern.

"Don't worry. They will all be okay with Nick." Francine said.

"Well... alright." Bonnie said as she walks over to Nick. "Nick dear, promise me that you will look out for all of our children."

"Yes, ma'am. I promise." Nick said while crosses where his heart is.

"Now remember everyone. Our train leaves at 6 pm." Stu said. Stu then looked at his watch to see what time it was now. "Right now it's... 11:45. So I want everyone to meet back here at 5 o clock sharp. Not a second later. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." All the kids said.

"Alright then. We'll see all you kids later." John said.

John, Stu, Francine, and Bonnie all left together to have a parent's day around the city, leaving Nick with Judy and her brothers and sisters. Nick was in front of all the Hopps kids.

"Welcome everyone... to the Nicolas P. Wilde Zootopia Tour. I, Nicolas P. Wilde, will be your guide today. I'm gonna show you guys some of the amazing sights in Zootopia." Nick said all with excitement. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah!" All the Hopps kids shouted excited.

"I'm sure that you all saw some of the many different districts when you were on the train. In Zootopia, we have MANY different districts." Nick told them. Then Nick started doing so posing. "Like the icy cold and snowy Tundratown..."

"Ooooooooh..." The Hopps kids said in awe.

"... the hot and sandy deserts of Sahara Square..." Nick said posing some more.

"Aaaaaaaaaah..." The Hopps kids said in more awe.

"... and the vastly green and wet Rainforest District." Nick said with some more excited posing.

"Woooooaaahhh..." The Hopps kids said even more excited. But then Nick stopped posing and felt a bit awkward on what he was about to tell them.

"Yeeeeeeaaaahhh... we can't go to ANY of those places. Only the places here in Downtown." Nick said while scratching the back of his head.

"WHAAATT?!" All the Hopps kids shouted disappointed.

"Sorry. Most of those places are too far to go on foot. Plus my family bus pass won't be good for ALL of us." Nick said.

"If that's the case, then WHY did you tell us about all the amazing places that we can't go to see?" Judy asked.

"Heeeeeyyy. If it makes you feel better, I haven't been to most of those places either. But you guys shouldn't stress too much. I can assure you that Downtown Zootopia has PLENTY of sights I could show you." Nick said giving them a double thumbs up. "One more thing. If we stop for snacks, I hope you all brought your own money."

Judy and her siblings responded by just holding up Zoo-dollars in the air. This really surprised Nick.

"Oh wow. You... all... actually... have money." Nick said. He then looks into his pockets to see that he had lesser money on him then they did. He only had like 2 Zoo-dollars and some pennies on him. While everyone else had at least a five-er. "Suddenly, I feel like I'm on the other end of this."

"There... there, Nick." Judy said as walks over to Nick and pats him on the back. "Show us enough sights and we MAY be nice enough to share with you."

"Thanks. Okay, I think we should all get this tour started." Nick said to everyone. "Now everyone, follow me and stay together. I don't want Mr. or Mrs. Hopps to be mad at me if any of you go missing."

"You heard Nick. Stay together." Judy said.

"Alright." Everyone else said.

So Nick began the tour of all of Nick's favorite sites Downtown. The all started walking down the sidewalk and seeing all the buildings. Nick started to explain about some of the buildings.

"As you can guess, most people in Zootopia live in apartment complex." Nick told them. "Most buildings are like bunny houses, but they accommodate mammals depending on their sizes. Most places here are much huger than you guys might be used to."

"That makes sense." Judy said while looking at the tall doors at some buildings. "I don't even think we can open most doors cause they are so tall."

"Not to worry. For all of the 'shorter' residents, some buildings have a small door built alongside the big doors." Nick stated.

"Oh. Well, that's convenient." Wendy said.

"That's what I love about this city. They have things for everyone." Nick said proudly.

Next up, Nick shows everyone a big two-story brick building. It looked like a school.

"This is my school, everyone." Nick said. "This is where I spent 5 days a week in studying and total boredom with other fellow students."

"So this is what a school in Zootopia looks like. It's a nice looking school." Judy said with a smile.

"Do schools in Bunnyburrow look different than this?" Nick asked.

"Our schools in Bunnyburrow are a lot smaller and a bit more simple." Judy answered.

"Smaller? But since there are so many bunnies in Bunnyburrow, as well as other animals, shouldn't the schools be as big or bigger than my school?" Nick asked. "I mean, what the average amount of students per class?"

"Around 30 or as high as 40." Judy said.

"Only 30 or 40?!" Nick shouted looking surprised. "But... that's close to the average in my class and the other classes in my school. Why so little?"

"That's just how it is in Bunnyburrow." Wendy said. "There are many schools in Bunnyburrow, but not all bunnies are actually able to GO to school."

"We all do go to school, but some bunny families aren't as lucky as we are." Greg said.

"Most of them are home-schooled." Eric said.

"Wow. Really?" Nick asked still looking surprised.

"That's just how it is for most big families." Judy stated.

"Huh. Here I was thinking that classes in your school had like 400 kids or so in each of your classes." Nick said while scratching his chin.

"Are you kidding? Heck no!" Judy said to Nick. "If there were that many students per class, each of the teachers would have sleepless nights and endless piles of papers to grade."

"On the plus side, maybe your teachers would all just get too tired and just give everyone no homework or all As." Nick said with a smile.

All the Hopp kids began to laugh quite a bit.

"If only it was THAT easy." Judy said easing up on the laughter.

"Haha! Alright, let's get moving. No kit likes to be near a school on a Saturday." Nick said. "There is still so much more I want to show you guys."

"Lead the way, Slick." Judy said.

With that said, Nick and the other continued on their tour. Nick showed them around more sites, met some people, and all had some good fun. After a while, the group all stopped by a local bakery called "Sweeti's Bakery" for some treats. The group all went inside the bakery and saw all the cakes, cookies, and other pastries on display.

"Wooooooaaahhh!" All the Hopps said awing at the sight of all of the delectable treats.

"This is 'Sweeti's Bakery'. The best bakery in Downtown Zootopia." Nick said. "I come here all the time when I'm craving something sweet. They have everything from cookies... to pies... and cakes."

"They all look soooo good." Judy said smiling.

"And look." Nick said pointing at one of the cakes. It had white frosting and mini-carrot decorations made from orange frosting. "They even have carrot cake."

"What? Since we're rabbits you think that..." Eric said in a fret, but was stopped by Nick.

"Let me stop you right there, Eric." Nick said holding his paw up. "I already went through this with Judy and my answer is still the same. Yes."

When Nick said that, Eric didn't answer because Nick was right. Carrot cake was all of the Hopps favorite desserts. Eric just held his head down in defeat. Nick then walked up to the counter where a female Coyote around the age of 50 wearing a blue shirt with a pink apron on.

"Hello there, Nick." The coyote said with a smile.

"Hey, Mrs. Sweeti." Nick said happily. "Do you have any donuts today?"

"You're in luck. I saved one blueberry doughnut just for you." Mrs. Sweeti said.

"Alright." Nick said with a jump.

"You seem really excited for a doughnut." Judy stated.

"Of course. See, every time I come here for a doughnut, EVERY TIME, they run out of them." Nick stated. "I think it's mainly caused this chubby cheetah kid who orders a bunch. I don't really know the guy, but I do know that he's around our age."

"So that's why you are so excited to get one?" Judy asked.

"That... and it's blueberry." Nick said.

"I don't think I ever meant a fox so in love with blueberries as you, Nick." Judy said.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Nick said proudly.

Mrs. Sweeti handed Nick the blueberry doughnut wrapped in some paper. Nick gave her one Zoo-Dollar to pay for the doughnut.

"Here you go." Mrs. Sweeti said.

"Thank you." Nick said with a wide smile. "Oh. You can give all my friends here each a slice of carrot cake."

"We can order for ourselves, Nick." Judy said. "Maybe we all want something OTHER than carrot cake."

"Yeah." Judy's brothers and sisters all shouted.

They all sound like they were about to get something else, but after looking at how good the carrot cake looked...

"We're all taking a slice of carrot cake, please." Judy said.

"Yeah..." Judy's brothers and sisters said sounding defeated.

"I knew it." Nick said with a sly smirk.

"Be quiet, Nick." Judy said bumping him in the chest with her elbow.

"Jeez! You bunnies as so rough." Nick said rubbing his chest a bit after the elbow blow.

Flash forwarding to a few minutes after everyone had their sweets, Nick toke everyone to the next stop. All of the kids were walking down the sidewalk.

"Okay. Now I'm gonna take you all to our neighborhood playground." Nick said. "I'll tell you right now. You guys haven't seen anything like it."

"I'll think we'll be the judge of that." Greg stated trying to sound unimpressed. "The playgrounds in Bunnyburrow are pretty hard to beat."

"Our playground is just a tire swing, a tiny sandbox, and a slide." Daisy stated.

"It's a big slide." Greg said.

"Well is it as big as this?" Nick said with a slick smile.

The group makes it to the corner where the playground was and it was unbelievable. It was more than just a tire swing and a slide. It had 16 swings, 4 sets of teeter-totters, a huge sandbox, a tetherball pole, a super big and long tube slide with a lot of twists, turns, and a swirly end. Each of the playground equipment also accommodates most sizes for the kids that played there. The bunnies jaws all dropped at the sight such an awesome playground. To a bunch of bunnies from the country, this seemed more like an amusement park to them.

"THIS... is the playground?!" Judy, Greg, Daisy, and Eric all shouted.

"Yep. Guessing you guys are pretty impressed, right?" Nick asked with a smirk.

"THAT is an understatement, Nick!" Judy shouted out. She then ran to the get a look at the swings. "Look at these swings. They aren't even rusted on the chains."

Daisy and some of her siblings went over to the teeter-totters.

"Look at these teeter-totters. They are so much bigger than the ones in Bunnyburrow." Daisy said.

Eric and a few of his brothers went to the tetherball pole.

"Check out the tetherball pole." Eric said. "There's an ACTUAL ball attached to the string."

Greg went over to what looked like a playground version of a Merry-Go-Round.

"And... THIS. I don't even know what this thing is. But it looks AWESOME." Greg said.

"Nick, this playground is amazing." Judy said.

"I know. Also, so you know that THIS is the only playground like this in Zootopia." Nick said with a sly smile. Judy and her siblings felt a little dumbfounded. "Well? What are you all waiting for? It's a playground. So... let's play."

Not waiting any longer, all the kids ran to the playground and started playing. They sat on the swings, played in the sandbox, went down the slide. You know all the things that kids do on a playground. A few of the kids, including Nick and Judy, got on the merry-go-round and started spinning rapidly like crazy. All of them got a little dizzy after spinning for three whole minutes.

Later, Judy wanted to go down the huge slide. Nick was right behind her. A few of siblings in front of her already went down it. It was Judy's turn to go, but Judy started to look a little frightened. Nick was curious why she didn't slide down yet. He then taps on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Is something wrong, Judy?" Nick asked her.

"No. Nothing's wrong." Judy said trying not to look scared, but her nose was twitching.

Nick noticed her twitching nose and started recalling the day he first met Judy. He remembered when Gideon was bullying Judy, her nose twitched when she was afraid. Similar to the same way it was now.

"Are you scared?" Nick asked.

"N... no! Of course not." Judy said as her nose still twitched.

"Then how come your nose is twitching?" Nick asked crossing his arms.

"Oh... um... it's because..." Judy said trying to come up with something to say.

"Judy, you can't fool me. It's okay to admit that you're scared. I'll promise not to laugh at you." Nick said sincerely.

Judy then sighed and realized that there was no point in hiding the truth from Nick.

"Alright. You're right." Judy admitted. "I know it's stupid to be scared of sliding down a slide, but I never slid down a slide like this. It's a little scary for a little bunny."

"Do... you want to slide down together?" Nick suggested. "I promise that it will be fun. Trust me."

Judy did trust Nick. So she simply nodding and agreed to slide with Nick. So they both got down and Nick held on to Judy around her waist tightly.

"I'm not holding you too tight, am I?" Nick asked Judy.

"No. You're fine." Judy said to Nick blushing a bit.

"Ready?" Nick asked Judy.

"Ready." Judy said.

With a "Here we go." shouted out by Nick, the two went down the slide. As they slid down there were screams of both excitement and a bit of fear. They turned left, then right, then left again. Nick still held on to Judy. After a while, Judy started to enjoy the sliding. After three long spirals down, they made it to the end of the slide. Judy had a pretty joyful smile on her face.

"That was the most fun thing I have ever done." Judy said.

"See? What did I tell you?" Told ya that you can trust the son of Honest John." Nick said smile.

Judy was happy that Nick slid with her, but Nick was still holding on to Judy's sides.

"Uhh Nick, you can let go of me now." Judy said.

"Oh!" Nick said as he quickly let go of Judy. He also started to blush a bit. "Sorry! Sorry!

"No. It's fine." Judy said also blushing a bit.

Judy didn't want to say anything to Nick, but she didn't mind that Nick held on to her for so long. Being with Nick, made Judy feel safe. A few minutes later, Judy's brothers and sisters were still playing, while Nick and Judy were sitting on one of the benches.

"So Judy, I hope you are enjoying my tour with you and your family." Nick said. "I'm sorry if I can't really show you everything."

"Don't be. I'm having a great time." Judy said smiling. "Zootopia is so amazing. I can't believe you only showed me some small parts of it."

"That's Zootopia for ya. You can live here for years and still find somewhere to go and something new to do every day." Nick said.

"You're so lucky to live in such an amazing city, Nick." Judy said.

"Thanks." Nick said with a big smile.

Nick and Judy looked out at the playground and watch as Judy's brothers and sisters still continued to play. Nick was a bit surprised to know that bunnies had so much energy. But he seemed okay with it and he likes the fact that they weren't scared of him. This was all still new to Nick. But he liked being close to Judy. He actually wanted to show Judy some more things.

"Say Carrots?" Nick said looking back at Judy.

"Yes?" Judy asked looking at him.

"You know, there are some other places that I wanted to show you." Nick said. "But if it's okay, I only want you to come with me."

"Only me?" Judy asked looking a bit surprised.

"It just that... the next place I want to show you is a secret place that I like to check. I only want you to know about it." Nick said.

Judy felt a bit weird that Nick wanted to take just her, but she already trusted Nick and has spent time with him alone before. The only difference is that now it's in the city instead of the country.

"Okay. I'll go with you." Judy said.

Nick heard her said yes, but he wanted her to be really sure.

"You DO know what I am telling you, right?" Nick asked. "I'm asking you, a bunny, to follow me, a fox, to some place in the big city that you have never been to. Just you, without any of your brothers and sisters."

"Yes. I know." Judy said to Nick.

"So, you're willing to trust a fox?" Nick said with a sly smile.

"I already trusted you a long time ago." Judy said with a smirk.

"Well, this is different." Nick said as he went closer to Judy. "Are you willing to trust a fox, even if he leads you to a dark alley, alone with no mammals, prey or predators, insight? Are you REALLY willing to trust me, even if your life is on the line?"

What Nick said was a little scary. He was basically saying "Are you willing to trust me with your life?". Judy was silent for about 7 seconds before she gave Nick her answer.

"Nick, even if you lead me to a dark alley with no one else, prey or predator, I would trust you..." Judy said. Then she had a wide smile on her face. "... just as long as I get to hold your paw the whole time."

So with that said, it seems that Judy is willing to completely trust Nick.

"Alright then." Nick said jumping off the bench. "For the record, I wasn't gonna lead you to a dark alley or anything like that. So the whole "hold each other's paws " thing isn't really necessary." Nick said while scratching the tip of his nose again.

"Oh right. I was just saying. You know. If we actually did go down a dark alley." Judy said jumping off of the bench. "But before we go, we should let my brothers and sisters know."

"Don't worry. I got it." Nick said to Judy before shouting out to her siblings. Nick had that sly look on his face again. "HEY GUYS! I'M KIDNAPPING YOUR SISTER TO TAKE HER TO SOME RANDOM PLACE FOR A BIT. WILL YOU GUYS BE OKAY STAYING HERE FOR A WHILE?"

Kidnapping?! Out of all words he chose to say, he chose 'kidnapping'? You think that everyone would have concern looks on their faces. But they all responding like this.

"YEAH! SURE! WHATEVER!" Greg shouted back.

"GO AHEAD, DUDE!" Erich shouted.

"NOT LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER 100 OR SO SISTERS ALREADY." Daisy shouted out.

"I think we're good." Nick said still with his sly smile.

"You think that they would at LEAST be a bit concern for their sister." Judy said looking a bit mad.

"What you gonna do? You can't choose your family." Nick said shrugging.

"I know. Believe me, I've tried." Judy said with a pouty look on her face.

"Come on, Carrots. Let's go." Nick said patting her on the back.

"Yeah. Okay." Judy said trying to sound motivated.

So while Judy's siblings stay to play at the playground, Nick brought Judy along for a little private tour. Judy was curious about what Nick had in mind for her and what place that he wanted to show only. But wherever it was, she knew that she could trust Nick.

 **Wonder where Nick is taking Judy to? What other sights or people will the two of them go to see. Well, you will just have to find out in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7: Hopps in the Big City Part 2

**Okay. Time for Chapter 7. Originally, this was gonna be part of Chapter 6, but that would had made the chapter crazy long. That and I REALLY wanted to still include this part coming up. So in this chapter, Nick is taking Judy to a few more places with just the two of them. There is also gonna be a lot of fluff in this chapter cause I like WildeHopps fluff. There will also be a deep talk between Judy and Nick. So this is gonna be one of the most important chapters in the story if you ask me. Well, let's get this chapter started already. Also, thank you all sooooo much for over 100 follows on this story.**

* * *

So Nick was now alone with Judy. As requested, Judy's siblings are all gonna stay at the playground while Nick was busy "kidnapping" her. Currently, Nick and Judy were walking beside each other down the streets of Zootopia.

"How much longer are we gonna walk?" Judy asked. "My feet are starting to hurt."

"Just a bit longer." Nick said to Judy.

They continue to walked until they stopped at a building that looked like an apartment.

"Okay. We're here." Nick said to Judy.

"Where are we?" Judy asked.

"Look at the sign." Nick said point at a sign near the stairway. Judy walked over to read the sign.

"Junior Ranger Scouts Headquarters." Judy said reading the sign. "Wait? The Junior Ranger Scouts?"

"Correct. You see Judy, ever since was younger, I always wanted nothing more than to join the Junior Ranger Scout." Nick told her.

"Really?" Judy said.

"Uh huh." Nick answered smiling a bit. "The Junior Ranger Scouts are awesome. They are always brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy."

"Hmm. All traits that you have." Judy said to Nick with a smile.

"Exactly. Though, the scouts here currently don't have any predators in the group." Nick said.

"Really? Not one?" Judy asked.

"Yeah. But that doesn't discourage me. I'll just be the first." Nick said with a confident smile.

Judy couldn't help but smile with what Nick just said. Nick determination to join the Junior Ranger Scouts was a lot like her determination to be a police officer. So it's was like the two had another thing in common.

"One day soon, I'm gonna join them and then... I can finally be a part of a pack." Nick said still with a confident smile.

"Heehee! If you are so eager to join them, how come you're not part of the scouts now?" Judy asked Nick.

At that moment, Nick's expression turned into a bit of a sad one.

"It's... a bit harder than you think, Judy." Nick said to her. "Judy, can I be completely honest with you?"

"What is it?" Judy asked starting to look concern.

"Look, even if it may SEEM like my family is doing fine. The truth is... that my family is actually a bit poor."

"Poor?" Judy said looking a bit stunned.

"Now, it's not like we're super poor or anything. My parents actually make enough money for us to get by pretty well." Nick said. "It's just that... we don't make as much to spend on a lot of stuff for ourselves. Not only that, a scout's uniform doesn't come cheap."

"Oh." Judy said looking a bit sad.

"Yeah. So getting a uniform may not happen anytime soon." Nick said. "You know, I envy you and your family, Carrots."

"What for?" Judy asked.

"To have so much brothers and sisters, your family must be pretty rich." Nick said.

"Oh. No. Our family's not rich." Judy said.

"What are you talking about? Of course they're rich." Nick stated while walking closer to Judy. "Think about it. Your family has 278 people, one big house, and a successful business in farming. Your family does well enough to always have food on the table for everyone, you and your siblings all can go to school, pay enough for each of you to have your own clothes, and each of you have at least 5 bucks on you. Any other family would be broke by now if they had only 20 kids. But not your family. Your family was even good enough to pay for tickets for you all to take the train. If that ain't the definition of a rich family, then I don't know what is."

Judy thought about everything Nick just said and realized that he was right. She never realized it until Nick mentioned it. It may not be that her family is "rich" rich, but they must be doing well enough not to be in money troubles. Judy became silent for a bit.

"Even if your family isn't super rich, your family would definitely be if there wasn't so much of you. But at least your family seems to make things work. Okay, Judy. Let's..." Nick said before looking at Judy. He then realized how sad Judy looked. "Oh no. Don't get me that look."

"What look?" Judy asked still looking sad.

"That 'I just found out my best friend is poorer than I am.' look." Nick said. "Sure my family may not be doing as well as yours, but that shouldn't change things between us. It... doesn't change things between us, right?" Nick asked looking worried.

"No. It's just that... it's a lot to take in at once." Judy said. "Guess I never really realized how good my family and I had it compared to others."

Nick didn't want Judy to worry about him too much, as he has already told her several times. Nick then walks behind Judy and then leans his head on top of Judy's. This surprised her a bit.

"Nick, what are you doing?" Judy asked.

"Trying to make you feel better." Nick said.

"So... you think putting your big head on top of my head will make me feel better?" Judy asked.

"Is it working?" Nick said with a smirk.

"A little." Judy said with a light smile.

"I knew it would." Nick said happily as he got off of Judy's head. "Alright. There is one more place that I REALLY want you to see. This place will be very special to you."

"Very special? You think so?" Judy asked.

"I know so." Nick said with a confident smile. "But to get there..." Nick then went into his pocket to get something out. "We will need to use this." Nick showed Judy's a small bus pass.

"A... bus pass?" Judy said as she tilts her head a bit.

"Uh huh. For our next stop, we need to take the bus." Nick said. He then starts lightly shoving Judy. "Come on. To the nearest bus stop."

"Okay. But don't shove so hard." Judy said to him.

A few minutes later, Nick and Judy were now sitting on a street bench, waiting for the bus to show up. Judy was getting more and more curious about where Nick was taking her and why they needed to take the bus.

"So... why are we taking the bus? I thought you said you couldn't take us to any places besides Downtown." Judy stated.

"Correction. I said I couldn't because my bus pass wouldn't be good for all of us, including your brothers and sisters. But there is only 2 of us now. So using my bus pass will be fine." Nick stated. As he did, the big bus came. "Look! The bus is here." Nick said jumping off the bench. "Come on. Let's get in."

"O...kay." Judy said a little nervous.

The two kits got on the bus and Nick places his bus pass twice in the toll machine. Nick and Judy then took a seat. It seemed that there were a lot of other mammals on the bus with them. Mostly adults and much huger mammals. It was clear that Nick and Judy were the youngest people on the bus. Judy look a bit nervous.

"Seriously Nick, where are we heading to?" Judy asked.

"To Savanna Central." Nick answered. "Savanna Central is known to be one of the most populated parts of the city. The next place I want to take you is there."

"That's why we're taking a bus?" Judy asked.

"You sound like you never rode a bus before." Nick stated.

"Only an overcrowded school bus." Judy stated. "But this is different. Are you even allow to do this? Ride the public bus by yourself?"

"Don't worry. I've done this a few times." Nick stated. "It's was mainly to run errands for my mom. But Savanna Central is really the only other district I go to."

"I'm surprised that your mom and dad would let you do that on your own." Judy said.

"I'm a smart kid and they trust me." Nick said. "But I'm pretty sure you already knew that. On my six birthday, they gave me a map of the city and I'm currently studying it so I can remember each and every part of the city. So far... I know every place in Downtown and Savanna Central."

"That's... AMAZING!" Judy said impressed.

"Didn't I already told you? One day, I want to know everyone in the city. Getting to know every place in the city is the first step." Nick said.

"You really are something, Nick." Judy said.

"Something bad or something good?" Nick asked.

"Good. Definitely good." Judy said smiling.

"Ha ha! Thanks." Nick laughed lightly.

Nick then looked at the window and realized that they were at their stop.

"Oh. This is our stop." Nick said as he pulled on the cord.

The bus then comes to a stop and Nick and Judy, as well as a few other passengers, got off the bus. Nick and Judy were now at Savanna Central. Savanna Central was very busy with mammals walking here and there. Trying to get to where they need to.

"Welcome to Savanna Central, Carrots." Nick said to Judy.

"This place looks even busier than Downtown was." Judy said.

"Well, Savanna Central is considered to be the business center of the whole city." Nick stated. "Mammals from all over the city come here to do business junk."

"Wow! That sound pretty..." Judy said. But before she could finish Nick grabbed her ears and used them to cover her eyes. "NICK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Now now. Remember, I'm "kidnapping" you." Nick said with a sly smile. "Kidnappers usually cover the eyes of their captors. So be a good captor and keep your eyes cover until we get there."

"Are you serious?" Judy said not sounding too happy.

"Yes. Now keep them covered." Nick said to her.

"Ugh! Fine!" Judy said holding her ears over her eyes. "But this place you want to show me better be worth it. Also, it BETTER not be an actual dark alley."

"Trust me. You will enjoy it." Nick said to Judy.

"You know you're playing the 'trust' card quite a lot." Judy stated.

"Well, you DID say that you trust me." Nick stated. "Besides, have I EVER gave you a reason not to trust me?"

"Fine. Fine. Just hurry and take me to wherever." Judy said.

"Gladly." Nick said with a smirk.

So Judy kept her eyes covered with her ears as Nick's requested. Nick carefully led Judy to their next location. Judy didn't know how to feel about this. But she said that she trusted Nick, so she just rolled with it. Nick just had his usual sly smile on his face as he walked with Judy. After a couple of minutes, they finally made it to their destination.

"Alright Slick Nick, exactly WHEN can I see again?" Judy asked starting to get peeved.

"Just a bit closer and... we are here." Nick said to Judy, as they stopped walking. "Okay. You can uncover those peepers of your now."

Judy moved her ears from covering her eyes and put them back to their normal position of hanging down.

"Finally." Judy said. She then looks at their current location. They notice that they are in front of a giant building that had a lot of columns around it. It also had a lot of mammals going in and out of it. "What's this building?"

"You don't know? Seriously, Judy?" Nick said before bending down and turning her head to get a better look at their surroundings. "Come on. You bunnies eat a lot of carrots. So your eyes should be as good as your ears. Look around."

Judy then observes everything. She notices that most of the mammals outside the building were wearing police officer uniforms. She then looked at her right and notice the police cars parked on the side. Then Judy looked up to the door and saw the word, Police, over the entrance door. Once she saw all of that, she realized where they were.

"WAIT! Is... is this..." Judy said looking stunned.

"You guessed it." Nick said. "This... is the ZPD. The Zootopia Police Department."

"Wow! WOW! So this is the actual ZPD building." Judy said looking excited.

"That's right. Since you want to grow up to be a cop one day, I thought it would be cool to show you the ZPD building. You know, so you can get a glimpse of your future." Nick said. "The ZPD. Known to have many different species, prey, and predator, working together to keep the streets of our big city safe. From protecting the innocent, to solve crimes, to capturing bad guys. The ZPD does it all, in efforts to make the world a better place."

"Amazing." Judy said in awe and with a big smile.

"Yeah." Nick said as he places his right paw on Judy's left shoulder. "Okay. Let's go."

"WHAT?! GO?!" Judy shouted out looking a bit disappointed. "But we just got here. Can you at least see the inside?"

"Of course not!" Nick said to Judy. "Didn't you parents ever tell you? Only go to the police when you are in danger or lost. But we are not lost. I know exactly where we need to go."

"Come on. Just a peek?" Judy pleaded with Nick.

"Nope. You'll have plenty of time to browse when you're an actual cop." Nick said.

Judy just puffed up her cheeks in anger at Nick.

"Come on. Don't be mad." Nick said. Nick then looks away from Judy for a moment. "Now we got some time before the next bus back to Downtown. I know this stand nearby that sells some fruit and veggies. I can get some blueberries and you can get some carrots. That sounds good, right Carrots?"

As Nick said that, he was waiting for a response. Except there was none. He then looked and realized that Judy was gone.

"Carrots? Judy?" Nick said as he looks around hoping that she was still around. He then looked at the ZPD building and notice that Judy was at the entrance and heading inside. This made Nick started to freak out. "JUDY! GET BACK HERE! JUDY! " Nick shouted out in a panic.

Nick didn't want to, but he had to go inside the ZPD to get Judy. He started running as he made his way to the entrance. While he was doing that, Judy was already inside. She was looking at her HUGE surroundings and admiring everything. She notices that many of the officers were heavy-setted. Most of them were rhinos, lions, tigers, bears, hippos, and elephants. So it can be said that no one was really smaller than that, except for some of the wolves. Even then, they were still bigger than bunnies. Yet, Judy was not discouraged or anything.

"This is amazing." Judy said excitedly. "Look at all the officer. Working hard and making the world a better place."

As she said that, she feels someone tapping on her head. She turns around to see that it was Nick. He was panting a bit.

"Oh! Nick." Judy simply said.

"Judy! I told you not to come in here." Nick said to Judy.

"Relax. I just wanted to browse." Judy said.

"I said you could browse when you are an ACTUAL cop." Nick stated. "Now come on. Let's get out of here before we get in trouble."

Nick grabbed a paw and wanted to rush out of here. But as they were about to leave, they noticed a large shadow looming over them.

"What are you children doing in here?" The figure said.

"Eeep!" Nick and Judy both said in fear.

They both turned around to see who it was. The officer was a large and slightly muscular cape buffalo. He had gray fur, brown eyes, and big beige horns. It looked like he was in his 30's. He had a very serious look on his face as he looked at both kids.

"Well? Aren't you kits gonna answer me?" The buffalo said.

"Uh... uh..." Nick was too frightened to say anything more.

"See... we... we... uh..." Judy was too frightened to speak properly either.

"You know this isn't a playground." The buffalo said sounding serious. "You children shouldn't be playing around here."

Nick and Judy really started to fear this buffalo officer. Since he was so serious, they didn't know how to properly speak to him. You can tell they were scared because Judy was hiding behind Nick. Nick looked like he wanted to be the one hiding since he's a fox and he felt that being a fox was a crime.

"Interrogating children again, Bogo?" A voice from afar said.

They turned around to see it was another male officer. He was a tiger wearing an officer cap on his head. But he had a look on his face that wasn't as serious as the buffalo.

"We have already been through this, Bogo. That's not the way to talk to kits." The tiger said.

"If they don't have a real reason to be here, then they shouldn't be here." Bogo said.

If you haven't figured it out yet, the scary buffalo is none other than Chief Bogo. Uhh... future Chief. Currently, he's just a regular officer like the others in the department. He may be younger, but he was still just as serious about his job back then.

"Look. I'LL take care of these two kits here." The tiger said. "How about you just do some paperwork? Or get that stick out of your butt."

As tiger officer shooed Bogo away, Bogo just snorted out some steam from his nose. But Bogo still left.

"I swear, if he ever becomes chief one day, I pray for the poor souls that have to deal with him." The tiger said to himself.

Now the tiger looked at Nick and Judy. He didn't seem as scary as Bogo. He leans down on one knee near Nick and Judy and greeted them with a smile.

"Hello there. I'm officer Aaron Tigrelo. Do you two mind telling me your names?" The officer asked.

"My name is Nick, sir." Nick said to him.

"And my name is Judy." Judy said.

"Nick and Judy, huh? What brings you here to the ZPD?" Tigrelo asked.

"Well you see sir, my friend Judy here is from Bunnyburrow and this is her first time in the city. I wanted to give her a little tour and show her the ZPD building... because she wants to be a police officer when she grows up."

Officer Tigrelo had a surprised expression on his face when he heard that.

"Nick told me not to come in here, but I couldn't help it." Judy said. "I really wanted to see the inside and everything. We're really sorry."

"Are we in trouble?" Nick asked looking worried.

"Now why would you be in trouble?" Tigrelo asked. "You can't be in trouble just for curiosity, now can you? Besides, you two seem like really nice kids."

Tigrelo then looked at both Nick and Judy. It wasn't every day that you see a fox friends with a rabbit.

"So, Judy was it? You really want to be an officer when you grow up?" Tigrelo asked.

"Yes, sir." Judy said.

"That's a pretty big career choice for such a little bunny." Tigrelo said.

"Are YOU gonna tell me that a bunny can't be a cop?" Judy asked as she crossed her arms. She thought she would be like everyone else and tell her that it's impossible.

"Now why I say that?" Tigrelo said. "You wanna know what mammals think that? The big idiots." Tigrelo then pointed to where Bogo was standing.

Judy and Nick couldn't help but laugh a little bit.

"Haha! My dad said the same thing." Nick said. But then Nick a bit of a worried look on his face. "Please don't arrest my dad."

"Ho ho! Easy! I won't do anything like that." Tigrelo said laughing a bit. "Hmm. The last fox I knew to say something like that and be so open-minded was a fox named John."

Nick and Judy's eye widen when he mentions the name, John.

"That's... my dad's name." Nick stated.

"Wait? You're Honest John's son?" Tigrelo asked. "Haha! I should have known you were his kid. I can totally see it now that I look at you."

"How do you know pop?" Nick asked.

"Went to high school with him. He's a good man. Honest too." Tigrelo said. "How's he doing?"

"He's great." Nick said with a smile.

"That's good to hear." Tigrelo said before petting his head. "Hope that you are living up to his example."

Nick liked Officer Tigrelo. He was a cop and he wasn't judgmental to foxes. He even was a friend of Nick's dad, John.

"Now as for you, little bunny, if you really want to be a cop, you will have to work hard for it. Can you do that?" Tigrelo asked.

"Yes, sir." Judy said boldly.

"Good answer. This is Zootopia after all." Tigrelo said as he reaches into his pockets. It was a golden stick in the form of a badge that said Deputy Cop. "And in Zootopia..." Tigrelo then places the sticker on the left of Judy's chest. "... anyone can be anything."

Judy had a big smile as she graces at the badge she was given. Nick also smile for Judy. Even if it wasn't a real badge, it was good enough for Judy, knowing that someone else other than Nick supported her dream.

"Now. Is there anything else I can do for you two?" Tigrelo asked.

"No thanks. We're be leaving now." Nick said to him.

"Alright then. You kids be safe now." Tigrelo said to them getting back on his two feet.

"We will." Both Nick and Judy said as they bow to him.

"Let's get going, Judy." Nick said.

"Okay. Thank you for the badge, Officer Tigrelo, sir." Judy said to Tigrelo.

"So long." Tigrelo said before saluting them. Judy and Nick did the same.

After that, Nick held Judy's paw as they walk to the door and leave the ZPD building. After all of that, both Nick and Judy were feeling snackish. Nick mentioned about a fruit and veggie stand that the two of them could go nearby. So they went to the stand that was owned by a female deer and Nick ordered them some snacks for them to have.

"Two carrots and a bag of blueberries, please?" Nick said to the stand owner.

As Nick was ordering, Judy was still admiring the deputy badge that she got. It seems to give her even more hope in her dream of being a police officer. While she was thinking about everything, Nick offered Judy the two carrots.

"Here you go." Nick said to Judy.

"Oh. Thank you." Judy said taking the carrots.

Nick and Judy walked around the streets of Savanna Central a bit more as they ate their snacks. Judy took a bite out of one of her carrots as Nick plopped a few blueberries in his mouths. But as he ate the blueberries, Nick had an "unsure" look on his face.

"Ummm..." Nick went.

"What's wrong?" Judy asked.

"It's these blueberries..." Nick said.

"I thought you loved blueberries." Judy said.

"Oh, I do. And I had these blueberries before." Nick said. "But... ummm... how can I say this? When I had these blueberries at first, I was like " Mmmmmm". Then I had your family farm's blueberries and I was like "Mmmmm Mmmmmm". But not that I had these one's again, it's more of an "Ehhhhh"."

"Ehhhhh?" Judy asked.

"Yes, Ehhhhh." Nick stated. "In other words, your families blueberries are so good that they have ruined all other blueberries for me. Thanks a lot." Nick said pretending to be mad.

"Awww! You poor fox." Judy said teasing Nick. "I'll be sure to bring a bunch of blueberries the next time we come to Zootopia."

"I would very much appreciate that." Nick said to Judy as he gets some more blueberries from the bag he has.

"You're still gonna eat those blueberries, are you?" Judy asked with a smirk.

"Will I now? Yes. Yes, I will." Nick said as he plopped some more blueberries in his mouth. "You know my family really likes your blueberries. The basket that you gave us didn't really last the trip back to Zootopia. Which I saw coming when..."

As Nick when on and on about his blueberry story, Judy's mind kinda wandered off. She then looked around and saw noticed all the citizens around. Many of them were family. Small families. But there all had parents that looked like they supported their kids. She looked at a family of bunnies. There was only one kid. A little bunny girl. Yet, it seems like they were really happy. It made Judy feel like "I bet her parents support whatever she wants to do when she grows up." and "Why can't my parents support what I want to do?". It was because of this, Judy started looking sad. Nick was still going on with his story.

"... that's why mom will never let me do that again. So what do you think about that, Carrots?" Nick said as he was waiting for a response from Judy. When she didn't say anything, Nick looked at Judy and realized how sad she looked. "Judy? Is something wrong? What? You don't like those carrots?"

"Huh?" Judy said snapping out of it. "Oh. No. Nothing's wrong. The carrots are fine. It's just..." Judy then looked at Nick. "Nick, can we go someplace to just sit and talk for a bit?"

"Uhh... sure." Nick said to Judy, but couldn't help but feel concern.

Nick took Judy to a bus stop bench to talk. This way, they had a place to sit and talk, while being able to catch the next bus back to Downtown. The fox and the bunny got on the bench and sat down for a while. Nick finished his bag of blueberries while Judy finished her carrots.

"Okay, Judy. The bus won't be here at least another 10 or 15 minutes. So the two of us have plenty of time to talk." Nick stated. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Judy twittered her paws a bit before she spoke to Nick.

"Nick, you never really told me and I never really asked you. What do you want to be when you grow up?" Judy asked.

"Me? Well... I don't really know." Nick admitted. "I could help my pop at the shop and later take over for him. Or maybe I'll just do some small simple business selling something. But I do want the business to be fair and honest. Or maybe I'll just be an accountant. I don't know." Nick said shrugging.

"So, you don't really know what you want to be?" Judy asked.

"Guess I never really thought about it." Nick said.

"But, your parents would be okay with whatever you choose to do?" Judy asked.

"Well, I don't think they want me to do anything 'bad'. But overall, I think mom and pop would be fine with whatever I choose to do." Nick said. "That's what parents do, right? Support their kids in whatever they want to do. Just as long as they are happy, right?"

"I wouldn't really know. My parents aren't really like that." Judy answered.

"Huh?" Nick said looking confused.

"Nick, you've been completely honest with me. Now it feels like it's my turn to be completely honest with you." Judy said. She then looked at Nick with a serious face. "But Nick, the stuff I'm about to say is gonna be really deep. Like... bottomless pit deep. Do you really want to hear it?"

Nick thought about it for 2 seconds before answering her.

"Of course." Nick answered. "Judy, I want you to feel comfortable enough to tell me anything. I promise I won't judge you or anything like that."

Nick felt that he could tell Judy anything, so he wanted Judy to know that she could do the same for him. With that in mind, Judy decided to tell Nick how she felt.

"Alright then." Judy said before taking a deep breath. She looked at the ground when she started talking. "Let me ask you, Nick. By looking at my parents, did you think that they always wanted to be farmers?"

"Well... yeah." Nick said. "They are really good at growing produce like carrots and blueberries."

"The truth is that... my parents are actually settlers." Judy said.

"Wait? Settlers?" Nick said looking a bit confused.

"Uh huh. My mom and dad gave up on their dreams and settled for being farmers." Judy told Nick.

Nick had a stunned look on his face when he heard Judy said that.

"Hold on. So they both wanted to do something else other than farming, but gave up on it?" Nick asked.

"That's mom and dad for ya. They always told us that if you don't try, then you can't fail." Judy said.

"Well... that may be true. But, how can you know you would fail something... if you didn't have the courage to try it?" Nick asked.

"Again... that's mom and dad for ya. Most of the time, they can be too scared to try something new. I mean, you remember how they were when they first saw you and your parents?" Judy stated.

"Wow. You are really different from your parents." Nick said. " But I'm guessing it can also be said about you and your siblings too. I'm sure quite a few of them want to do something different too, right?"

Judy was once again silent for a moment.

"Judy?" Nick said looking concern.

"Actually Nick... for all I know, from my older siblings to everyone else, I'm the only one who wants to do something else besides farming." Judy said to Nick.

"WHAT?! Are you serious? Out of all your brothers and sisters, NO one wants to do anything else?" Nick asked as he looked more surprised. Judy just simply nodded.

"This didn't bug me at first. But... after meeting you... and finding out about Gideon... it all got me to start thinking about things more." Judy said.

Nick was still stunned after hearing what Judy said. Out of all of them, she's the only one who wants to do something besides farming for a living.

"Man, that's really surprising. Guess that makes you the black sheep of the whole family." Nick said. "Or in this case, black bunny. Even though you're grey."

"That's not even the worst of it." Judy said.

"Huh?" Nick said looking surprised.

"Nick, here is where things get deeper. Do you REALLY want to hear what else I got to say?" Judy asked.

"I already told you. I promise I won't judge you or anything like that." Nick said. "So you can tell me whatever you are feeling."

"Alright." Judy said before saying what she needed to say. "Remember how we joked around about me having too many brothers and sisters? Now, don't get me wrong. Like I said before, I do love all my siblings. But sometimes..." Judy then started to curl up. "... sometimes I wish there wasn't so many of us."

Nick was a little surprised to hear Judy say that. To say that she wishes that she had lesser siblings was pretty shocking to hear from someone like her.

"Now, it's not the way you would think it is. It's for a completely different reason." Judy said.

"Well... what's the reason then?" Nick asked.

"Nick, do you remember how many of my brothers and sisters you met today?" Judy asked.

"Let me think. I remember seeing at least 30 or so of them." Nick answered. "Wait a minute..." Nick finally realized something. He did only meet about 30 of Judy's siblings. But he remembered from last week that Judy told him she had 275 siblings.

"Guess you figured it out. Out of 275 of my brothers and sisters, only 37 of them could come here to Zootopia with me, mom, and dad." Judy said.

This REALLY shocked Nick. Only 37 of her sibling came? Compared to the whole family, 37 is a really small number. So why did so less of them came?

"Since there is so many of us, there is no way all of us could come to Zootopia." Judy said. "It's just too much money for tickets for all of us to go. So we all decided on which of us could go while the rest of us would stay at home. Even when all of us wanted to go."

"Oh." Nick said as his ears dropped a bit. "I'm... sorry to hear that."

"That's the case for a big family like mine." Judy told Nick. "Since I'm really good friends with you, I can go on every trip to visit you here. But you can tell that's not really fair to all my other siblings."

"Well... it's understandable. I would feel the same way if I was one them." Nick admitted.

"Exactly. But there more than just that, Nick." Judy said. "I have SO many brothers and sisters, yet only one mom and dad. Because of that, none of us really get to have solo-quality time with mom or dad that's less than a minute. Not only that, I have brothers and sisters that are still babies. Since that's the case, they need a bit more care than the rest of us."

"They are babies." Nick said.

"Either way, my siblings and I mostly had to learn things from each other than learning things from our mom and dad." Judy said. "I mean it's not like mom and dad DON'T help us when we need it, but if we all came at them at once, they would both go crazy."

"I'm surprised that her parents aren't sleep deprived." Nick thought.

"Nick... as much brothers and sisters I have, it's actually quite common for most bunny families at Bunnyburrow. Some families have 500 to over 1000 kids." Judy stated.

"1000!? What are they trying to do? Form an army?" Nick shouted. "What if one day, bunnies try to take over the world? Us other mammals might be in trouble. Or at least overcrowded." Nick thought.

"With numbers that big, you understand how hard it can be for them." Judy said. "Like we said before, some big bunny families can't afford to have all their kids go to school. But did you also know that some don't even leave their burrows?"

"Seriously?" Nick said surprised.

"The parents know they can't keep an eye on all of them, so they keep them all in their burrows so they know that they are safe." Judy said. "They also still fear the big world out there and still think predators might harm them in any way."

"Now that's just stupid." Nick said. "The world today MAY be dangerous sometimes, but you can't just spend your entire life living in burrows. I don't even think that's considered _living_."

"That's not even the worst of it." Judy said.

"Then what is?" Nick asked looking more concern.

"It's hard to stand out when you have so many siblings. It's also hard for the parents to actually remember ALL the kids they had." Judy stated. "Eventually, they have to pick favorites or the ones they need to keep an eye on to remember." Judy pointed to herself, implying that she was one of the kids that her parents kept an eye on.

"It isn't like that for your family, is it?" Nick asked.

"Not yet. But who's to say it won't be in another 10 or 15 years?" Judy stated. "Let's face it Nick. Even I don't really remember ALL my brothers and sisters. For all I know, I may have an older sister I didn't know about or a baby brother born yesterday."

"I still don't know all your siblings yet, so I get what you mean." Nick said. "To have to remember everyone and sometimes not getting to see all your siblings faces every day, it's only natural not to remember all of them. But it does make me feel a bit horrible to think that way."

"No kidding. Nick, remember when you said you envied me? Well, I kinda envy you too." Judy said. "Your family is small, but at least your parents have time for you. I can also say that for the other families here in Zootopia. That and least THEY have parents that support them."

It surprised Nick when Judy said she wished that she had Nick's life. But hearing that Judy envied him too? Nick felt he had the short end of the stick compared to Judy. But it seems like Judy feels that SHE had the short end.

"I can't really say that for all families." Nick said. "But at least you don't have mammals judging you for what you are."

"Nick, do you really think that bunnies don't get their share of insults?" Judy asked him. "We're small, frail, close-minded, and we don't know when to stop multiplying. We can try to be as tough as we want, but everyone who looks at us thinks that we're nothing more than these cute little fuzzballs that can't do anything else. And the worst is, us bunnies are starting to believe that."

Nick started to feel sadder for Judy. Judy looked at Nick deeply.

"Nick, be honest. What big jobs out there that you see bunnies do besides farming?" Judy asked Nick.

"Uhhhh... Ummmmm..." Nick couldn't really think of anything.

"See? Nothing. All because most bunnies are just too scared to do anything." Judy stated. "There are so many other things that they could all do in the world like, being a scientist, doctor, secret agent, lawyer, explorer, yet none of those jobs are done by bunnies. So of course, a police officer isn't on that list either." Judy then started curling up more. "Do you want to know what some of the kids say behind my back at school? They say 'This bunny is crazy to think she can become a cop.' or 'Be a carrot farmer like all the other bunnies.'. That's some of the things they say."

Nick had no idea that Judy had to deal with that. He was no stranger to insults by others behind his back. But he didn't think Judy had the same problem.

"No one really cares or supports me or my dream of being a cop. They all think I should just pack it up and do something else. That I'm not cut out for that line of work. Even my own family." Judy said looking sadder than ever. "Even if I actually become a cop, I'm still sure that I'm gonna get a few looks from the other officers. They may tell me I'm not cut out for the job either or try to make me quit. All because they don't like the idea of a bunny being part of their squad."

Nick just didn't know what to say to Judy. She was right about her getting looks by other officers or them thinking she can't handle the hard jobs. That's just how some officers would be.

"But I don't care about any of that." Judy said uncurling herself.

"Huh?" Nick said.

"I don't care what others think about me. I'm not doing it for them. I'm doing it for me." Judy said with a determined look on her face. "I want to be a police officer because I dream of making the world place for everyone. So what if there has never been a rabbit officer before? It won't stop me. Others might think I'm just doing it for the boost of ego or for glory and maybe they are right. I wouldn't mind having a bit of glory for being the first rabbit officer. But that's beside the point." Judy then stood up on her two feet on the bench. "I'm doing it for bigger reasons. If I could make my dream happen and succeed at being an officer, then maybe mom and dad and will finally support me, maybe brothers and sisters would want to do more too, and maybe... just maybe... other mammals like me would be willing to try and be more than what they are." Judy then sat back down on the bench. "That's why... no matter how hard or impossible it may seem, I have to try."

It seems that Judy said everything that she needed felt beyond overwhelmed with everything Judy said. Who would guess such a little bunny had such a big dream? Like a dream that's bigger than the city of Zootopia itself. After being quiet for a while, Nick finally said something.

"You're amazing." Nick said with a light smile.

"No. I don't think I'm..." Judy said trying to say that she wasn't. But Nick halted her.

"I'm serious." Nick said.

This got Judy's attention and she looks right Nick. Nick scooted a little closer to Judy.

"After everything you just said, I think you're the most amazing person I've ever met. And I'm not trying to flatter you or anything like that. I mean it." Nick said smiling some more. He then held Judy's right paw with both of his paws. "You talking about doing something big to help make the world better and also inspiring your entire species, as well as other species like yours, to be more than what they are. That's the most impressive, brave, amazing, beautiful, unselfish, and considerate thing I've ever heard in my life."

"Nick..." Judy said starting to blush a bit from Nick words.

"I don't think I would have the courage to do what you want to do. Just the thought of that makes me feel a bit scare. That goes for anyone else in your shoes." Nick said. "But you,... you're not scared. Not one bit. You have got to be the bravest... kit... girl... bunny... mammal... anything... that I've ever met."

Judy blushed a bit more from Nick words. She never had someone told her how amazing she was. Let alone a fox.

"I just thought I should let you know that." Nick said.

"Slick, do you talk that way to every bunny?" Judy said smiling while slowly brushing her ears.

"Only the bunnies that are worth talking to." Nick said smirking.

"You know you don't need to talk so highly of me." Judy said still brushing her ears. "It makes a girl like me start to think.

"Think about what, I might ask?" Nick said with a smirk.

"Nothing. Just nothing. Like you said so many times, don't worry about it." Judy said as she stopped blushing.

"Well, if I may ask, Carrots, all that stuff you told me, you shouldn't overthink everything." Nick said. "I mean, we're still kits. We shouldn't even be thinking about stuff like that yet. Instead, we should all live life now and enjoy it while we're young."

"While we're young?" Judy asked.

"Uh huh. If we think too much about the future when we are adults, then we can't enjoy the things in the present while we are kits. So it's best that we all live in the moment or else life will just pass you by." Nick said.

"You like being right about things all the time, do you?" Judy said smirk at Nick.

"I would be lying if I said I did." Nick said smiling. Both Nick and Judy then had a quick laugh. "One more thing I want to tell you, Judy. Even if you parents don't agree with your choice of career, even if your brothers and sisters don't agree with you, even if the whole world is against you, just know that this fox right here will always support you every step of the way."

"Thanks, Nick." Judy said. Judy then scooted closer to Nick and lean her head on Nick's right side. "Thank you for being my friend.

Nick starts to blush a bit himself now. He also recalls that he said the exact same thing to Judy a week. But he decides to say the same thing that Judy said to him.

"Come on. I should be the one saying things like that." Nick said scratching the back of his head a bit. He then looks on his left and notices that the bus was coming. "Oh look. Here comes the bus. Time to go back Downtown and to your sibs before they think I "actually" kidnapped you."

Judy then got off of Nick and scooted back a bit.

"Right." Judy said nodding.

So that's what they did. They rode the bus and went back to the Downtown and the playground. They double checked and made sure that everyone was still here. Luckily, they all were there and still well. Which was good news for Nick.

After hours later, everyone was back at the train station. It was time for the Hoops to get going back to Bunnyburrow. After the parents said goodbye to each others and the kids said goodbye to Nick and they all boarded the train, Nick and Judy were now saying their goodbyes.

"Thank you so much for the best day ever, Nick." Judy said being thankful.

"It's no problem. I feel the same way." Nick said. "I just wish you and your family could stay a bit longer."

"My parents talked to your parents about next week about staying for the whole weekend." Judy said.

"That's awesome!" Nick said excitedly.

"Hopefully, I won't have to wear this bow next time." Judy said as she messed with her bow a bit.

"Yeah and hopefully it will be the same for me and this tie." Nick said messing with his tie.

"Actually Nick... you should listen to your dad. Ties... look good on you." Judy said with a smile.

Nick was a bit surprised to hear that from Judy. He then lifted up his tie, looking at it a bit before looking back at Judy with a smile.

"Just my opinion." Judy said smiling.

"Jude, it's time to go." Stu said from the train.

"Coming!" Judy shouted out to her dad. She then looked at Nick again. "Well, see ya!"

"See ya!" Nick said.

After saying goodbye to Nick, Judy ran to the train and got on it. From the windows, all the Hopps waved goodbye to the Wildes as the chair moved. Nick didn't feel sad to see them go because he knew he would see them and Judy again next week.

A few days after the Hopps visit, Nick finished another day of school. Nick was looking at himself on one of the mirrors in the house and was trying to fix a tie around his neck. He kept recalling when Judy said that he looks good in ties. Not knowing how to tie a tie, he went to the one person he knew that could tie a tie. His dad. He walks to his dad, who was sitting in his chair, wearing glasses and reading a book.

"Say pop?" Nick said.

"What is it, my boy?" John said still reading the book.

"Can you show me how to fix a tie?" Nick asked.

Hearing that, John had a shocked look on his as he closed his book.

"What did you just say?" John asked as he took off the glasses.

"Can you show me how to fix a tie, Pop?" Nick asked again.

John then got off of his chair and gave his son a big hug.

"My boy! You really are my son." John said joyfully.

"Pop! Can you not hug me so tight?" Nick pleaded.

"Sorry. I'm just so... happy." John said. "I thought that you would never consider wearing ties, let alone want to know how to fix them."

"Pop..." Nick said wanting his dad to let go.

"Right. Sorry." John said letting go of Nick. "Of course I will teach you how to fix a tie."

"Thanks." Nick said.

At that moment, they heard the voice of Francine.

"Nick! Can you come down here for a minute?" Francine shouted from downstairs.

"Sounds like mom's back and she wants me for something." Nick said.

"You go on then. I'll teach you how to fix a tie afterward." John said to Nick.

"Okay." Nick said nodding.

So Nick went downstairs to see why his mom called him down. Francine was holding a big brown shopping bag.

"Hey, mom! What is it?" Nick asked his mom.

"I got something for you." Francine asked.

"For me, what is it?" Nick asked looking curious.

"First off, don't think that your father and I don't know where you secretly run off to." Francine said with a sly smile.

"Wait? What?" Nick said shocked.

"I'm your mother. I have my ways of knowing." Francine said. So it was clear that she knew that when Nick goes off, he always goes to see the Junior Ranger Scouts headquarters.

"So... you know about that?" Nick asked.

"Of course I do. Which is why I got you this." Francine said as she opened up her shopping bag to get something from it. "Ta-dah!" She then revealed that inside the bag was a little uniform. But not just any uniform. A Junior Ranger Scouts uniform.

"That's... that's..." Nick said in awe of what he was seeing.

"I saved up a bit of money so that you can have your own uniform." Francine said. "Now you can join the Ranger Scouts."

"I can really join now? Like for real?" Nick asked thinking that this was a dream.

Francine happily nodded. Nick then ran to his mom to hug her.

"Thank you, mom! Thank you so much. You're the best mom ever." Nick said happily to his mom as he hugged her.

"You're more than welcome, my little blueberry." Francine said holding Nick.

From behind them, was John who was happy for his son. Even if it seem like it wouldn't happen, Nick could finally fulfill his dream of being a Junior Ranger Scout.

 **So, after the Hopps visit, it seems that Nick and Judy are becoming closer as friends. Not only that, now that Nick has his own uniform, he can join the Junior Ranger Scouts. But is it really gonna be that simple for him? You will just have to wait for the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8: Pain & Heartbreak

**Chapter 8. Aww man. Not gonna lie. This is probably gonna be my least favorite chapter to write because it is based on my least favorite part in the movie. I'm pretty sure you all know what part I'm talking about and I apologize in advance. For this chapter, the Hopps visit Zootopia again for the weekend and Nick tells Judy about getting a uniform and joining the scouts on the same night. Then... I guess you all can figure out what happens next after that. But with Judy, things might be a little different. Let's start this chapter and see how things work out.**

* * *

It was another day in Zootopia. The Hopps family came to pay for another visit to the Wildes. Everyone was already in the Wildes house talking. Nick was with Judy and 7 of her brothers and sisters in his room showing them his Ranger Scouts Uniform. Nick was currently wearing a dark green shirt and blue jeans, while Judy was wearing a white and pink shirt with a white skirt. Judy's siblings were Noah, a white male bunny with a black shirt and white pants, Macy, A golden brown girl bunny with a white shirt, pink vest, and blue jeans, the twins Cole and Conner, two brown male bunnies that were wearing a blue and white striped shirt and blue jeans (Cole) and a red and white striped shirt with white jeans (Conner), Holly, a white girl bunny with black on the tips of her ears with a pink dress on, Abigail, a light brown girl bunny wearing a green shirt with flowers on it and a blue skirt, and lastly Greg, wearing a blue shirt, black cap, and dark green pants.

"Take a good look, guys. My very own uniform." Nick said happily as he was holding it.

"Oh Nick. I'm so happy for you." Judy said to Nick with a big smile. "You finally get to be a Junior Ranger Scout."

"Yeah, dude. Way to go." Greg said happily.

"Congrats!" Macy said happily as well.

"Thanks! Tonight is my initiation. I can't wait." Nick said excitedly.

"You're so lucky. Conner and I always wanted to join the scouts." Cole said.

"But the troops in Bunnyburrow are a little overcrowded." Conner said. "Okay, waaaaaaaaay overcrowded."

"Figured as much." Nick stated.

Abigail was currently lifting up Nick's uniform and admiring it.

"This uniform looks so cool. You should put it on so we can see how you look in it." Abigail said.

"I was just about to suggest that." Judy said agreeing. "Come on Nick. Put it on."

"No way." Nick said shaking his head no and taking his uniform back.

"Why not?" Judy asked.

"Cause I already told myself that I wouldn't put on my uniform until tonight." Nick said as he places his uniform on one of the hangers in his room. "I don't want ANY tears, rips, or strains on any part of it. I want it to be in perfect condition."

"Wow. I didn't know foxes could be such neat freaks." Macy said.

"Hey! All have you know, Macy, us foxes are known to take our appearances very seriously." Nick said while posing with a bit of finesse. "We properly groom ourselves every day and shower regularly. My family's motto is "We may be Wilde, but we dress in style.". It's also the motto of the store."

"Geez! If that's the case, your more groomed then us bunnies." Macy stated.

"Learn something new every day." Greg stated.

"Har har..." Nick said sarcastically.

The kids then heard some knocking on Nick's door and heard someone say "Knockity knock knock!". It's was Nick's dad, John.

"Come in, pop." Nick said.

John opens the door and greeted everyone.

"Hey there, kids." John said with a smile.

"Hey, Mr. Wilde." All the Hopps kids said.

"So Nicky, you ready for tonight?" John asked.

"I was born ready." Nick said boldly. "I can barely hold my excitement."

"He's been like this all day." Judy said.

"More like, all week." John said. "Say, Nick? Mind if I look at your uniform again? I want to make sure that it's in tip-top shape for you tonight."

"Okay." Nick said.

Nick then took his uniform off of the hanger and then gave it to his dad. John then observed the uniform a bit.

"Hmm... everything seems to be fine." John stated. "But I'll take a closer look at it later to make sure all the snitches are proper. I want it to look perfect for you, Nick. Remember our family motto?"

"We may be Wilde, but we dress in style." Nick, Judy, and all her siblings said.

"Oh? You... kids all know our motto?" John said a little surprised.

"Nick just told us about it a minute ago." Judy said.

"Huh. Anyway, your family's welcome to stay for dinner. Tonight we are having my specialty. Veggie Chili with vegetables from your farm and homemade cornbread." John said.

"Awesome!" Nick shouted out excited.

"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Wilde. We'd love to stay for dinner." Judy said.

"Great! Guess I'll go get about... 40 or so bowls ready." John said before leaving the room with Nick's uniform.

"I remember you talking about your dad's chili before. Is it really that good?" Judy asked Nick.

"Uhh... only the best." Nick stated. "And since it's gonna be made from your family farm's veggies, I can't even imagine how good it will be. Plus mom's homemade cornbread... Mmmmm... just thinking about it makes my mouth water."

"Sounds REALLY good for you to be talking so highly of it." Conner said.

"Yeah. REALLY good." Cole said.

"Quick question." Abigail asked. "Your dad's chili doesn't have meat in it, right?"

Everybody else gave Abigail the "Really?" face for asking that.

"It's called Veggie Chili, Abby. Made from the vegetables from your farm." Nick stated. "So unless the veggies are actually meat, it's not in the chili."

"Sorry. Sorry. I don't know what you foxes eat." Abigail said.

"Judy didn't tell you?" Nick asked.

"It's a work in progress, Nick." Judy said. "Again, I have a lot of siblings."

A few hours later and after dinner, the sun was setting the Hopps were all leaving the Wilde House. Nick was out with Judy as they were leaving.

"I got to tell you, you were right about your dad's chili." Judy said smiling at Nick.

"If I had a Zoo-Dollar for everytime I was right..." Nick said while smiling slyly.

"... you would have as much Zoo-Dollars as I have brothers and sisters." Judy answers for him.

"Ha ha! Exactly." Nick said. "I glad you liked Pop's Chili."

The two then stopped walking and stood by the side of Nick's house.

"My family is gonna be staying at one of the motels nearby. We're taking the early morning train back to Bunnyburrow tomorrow." Judy said.

"We will get a chance to see each other before you go, right?" Nick asked.

"Of course." Judy said with a smile.

"Great." Nick said smiling back at Judy. "Well... I got to get ready for my initiation."

"Good luck, Nick." Judy said.

Judy then went over to Nick and gave him a hug. Obviously, Nick didn't expect a hug. But he still accepted it and hugged her back. Judy then lets go of Nick.

"See ya, Nick." Judy said as waved goodbye and walk to her family.

"See ya." Nick said waving goodbye as well.

So Judy and her family left to go to their motel for the night. Nick couldn't help but have this nice and warm feeling that he always got when he was near Judy. He also felt really good to have a friend like her. Even if they only know each other for a short time and the fact that they are nearly polar opposites of each other, the two have gotten really close now. Nick then goes back into his home, getting ready for his initiation into the Junior Ranger Scouts.

It was starting to get darker in Zootopia. Judy's family had rented three different rooms for themselves at the motel. One room was for Stu and Bonnie to have, while the other two rooms were for the kits. About 20 or so in each room. In one of the rooms was Judy with a few of her siblings. This included Greg, Macy, and her older brother, Gerald. While her siblings were laying the beds and floor watch TV, Judy was standing and rapidly tapping her right foot on the ground repeatedly. Clearly, she was nervous about something.

"Jude, what's with the tapping?" Gerald asked while he was reading a comic book.

"Sorry. It's just that... tonight is the night that Nick gets into the Junior Ranger Scouts and I'm not there to see it." Judy stated.

"Oh. So that's it? You just want to see your boyfriend." Gerald said with a sly smirk.

"HE'S NOT MY..." Judy was getting all flustered and was about to say that Nick wasn't her boyfriend. But then she thought about it and remembers how Nick called Judy's her "girlfriend". "Actually... yes."

Everyone admittedly stopped doing what they were doing and stared at Judy.

"WHAAAAT?!" All Judy's siblings went.

"Well yeah. Boy... Friend... with a space in the middle. A friend who is a boy." Judy stated in a similar way to Nick.

"Oh." All of Judy's siblings went. Some seemed relieved.

"Oh good. Cause I was just joking." Gerald said. "I mean a fox and a bunny? That's just..."

"Just what?" Judy said starting to look mad.

"Uhhhh... nevermind." Gerald said not want to make her sister mad.

"Judy, if you want to go see Nick's initiation, you should go see Nick's initiation." Greg said.

"Yeah. He's your friend and you really want to be there for him, don't ya?" Macy asked. Judy nodded. "Then it's settled. You should go to him."

"You sure?" Judy asked.

"Of course. Don't worry. We'll cover for you while you're gone. Right guys?" Greg said.

"Yeah!" Most of Judy's siblings shouted out.

"Nope. Leave me out of this." Gerald said as he turned the page of his comic.

"Ger! Come on." Greg said looking a bit mad. "You got to help. It's Sibling Code."

"That may be, but I am NOT getting in trouble with mom and dad." Gerald said. "Besides, are we really gonna let Judy walk in the streets of Zootopia at night when the freaks come out?"

"I'll be fine." Judy stated.

"Sorry. But I'm not covering for you. That's final." Gerald said.

Judy wasn't happy with Gerald for not wanting to cover for her. But then she remembers something. She decided to play dirt on him. She then walks over to Gerald.

"Gerald, if I recall, there was a certain bunny who just happens to threaten a certain 9-year-old fox." Judy said to Gerald. This got Gerald's attention and not in a good way. "Now... we WON'T want Mr. and Mrs. Wilde to know about that now, would we?"

"You wouldn't!" Gerald said looking worried.

"I would. Unless you promise to cover for me." Judy said with a sly smirk.

"Okay. Fine." Gerald said admitting defeat. "I'll promise I won't talk. Go see your fox get into the scouts."

"Thank you." Judy said satisfied to hear that.

Judy then looked out the window and notice that it actually was pretty dark. Gerald did have a point about nighttime being dangerous.

"Hmmm... it is pretty dark. Who knows who could be out at night?" Judy thought. Then she had an idea. "I know."

Judy then dashed to her suitcase and got out some new clothes.

"Do you all mind looking away for a second?" Judy asked her brothers and sisters.

Everyone look away for a bit while changed her clothes. It took about one or two minutes.

"Okay. Can you all look now." Judy told them.

Everyone looked and notice that Judy was now wearing her Police Officer Costume from her play at the Talent Show.

"Tadah! Deputy Officer Judy is on duty." Judy said boldly.

"You brought that costume with you?" Gerald asked.

"Of course. This way, others know I mean business." Judy said.

"... I'm not even gonna argue with you." Gerald said.

"Now, I better hurry. You guys will cover for me if mom and dad wonder where I am, right?" Judy asked her siblings.

"You got it, sis." Greg said giving Judy the thumbs up. "Now get going."

"Right!" Judy said.

So with that said, Deputy Judy left the room and went off to the streets of Downtown to see Nick before his initiation. Meanwhile, let's get back to the Wilde's house. Nick has now put on his Ranger Scout's Uniform and feeling very excited. But he was having trouble putting on his handkerchief. So he went downstairs for his mom.

"Mom? Can you help me with my handkerchief?" Nick asked her. "I'm... kinda having problems putting it on right."

"Sure thing." Francine said. She then grabbed a stool and places it near a mirror. "Come over here so we can make sure it looks right."

"Okay." Nick said happily.

Nick sat on the stool as Francine fixes his handkerchief properly. Nick looked at himself in the mirror and admired how he looked so much. Francine then finishes with Nick's handkerchief.

"There you go, sweetie." Francine said. Looking at her son in his uniform, made her realize how much little Nick has grown up. "Look at you. All ready for the scouts and growing into a fine young mammal."

Nick then started looking bold and serious as he looks at himself in the mirror. Francine lightly smiles for a bit.

"But don't forget..." Francine said as she starts to lightly tickle Nick a bit. "... you're still my little baby boy."

"Hahaha! Aww, Mom!" Nick said laughing a bit.

So it seems like Nick was ready for the scouts. But before he was about to leave, his dad John came into the room with a camera at paw.

"Alright, Nick. Let's get some pictures before your first day." John said.

"Okay." Nick said happily.

So John took a few pictures on Nick. Nick was smiling widely and standing proudly as he took the pictures.

"Okay, Frankie. Now you get in the shot with Nick." John said to his wife.

Francine nodded and walked over to Nick and lean down to his level. The two smiled as John take the picture.

"Got it." John said.

"Now hand me the camera so I can take a picture of you two." Francine said.

John nodded and gave the camera to Francine. John then leans down near Nick as Francine was about to take the picture.

"Wide Smiles, you two." Francine said.

"Wide Smiles!" Nick and John shouted out with wide smiles.

Francine then took the picture.

"Okay. I think that's enough pictures. I really have to get going." Nick told his parents.

"Oh right. Well, don't let us stop you from going." Francine said.

"Make us proud, champ." John said taking Nick's cap off and patting his head.

"I will." Nick said with a big smile and put his cap back on. "Okay. See ya later."

Nick then dashed to the door and left the house. Outside, he happily ran Downtown to the get to the Junior Ranger Scouts Headquarters. As he makes it to the corner where the Headquarters was, he paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

"Okay. Let's do this. Today I become part of a pack." Nick thought.

With that thought said, he ran to the building and hopped up the stairs as he opens the door and enters. Meanwhile, when this was happening, there was a knock on the door outside of the Wilde House. Francine went to the door to open it and found out it was Judy.

"Oh! Hello there, ' _Officer_ ' Judy." Francine said greeting the little bunny.

"Hey, Mrs. Wilde." Judy said tipping her hat to her. "Is Nick still here?"

"Sorry, sweetie. You just missed him." Francine said.

"Aww man! I wanted us to go together so I can see when he gets into the scouts." Judy said a bit disappointed.

"If you hurry, you can still catch him." Francine said. "Do you know the way?"

"Uh huh. Nick showed me the way a few times." Judy said. "I'll be going now."

Judy was about to leave when Francine happens to say something.

"By the way Judy... do your parents know that you are out in the city this late?" Francine asked with a sly fox smile.

"Ohh... umm..." Judy said looking worried and realized that she didn't think of an excuse.

"Haha. It's okay dear." Francine said. "I know how much your friendship with Nick means. So... we won't say anything to your parents... this time."

"Thank you, Mrs. Wilde." Judy said looking relieved. "See ya!"

Saying goodbye to Francine, Judy then made her way to the Junior Ranger Scout HQ. Judy seemed pretty happy as she skipped down the streets of Downtown. What reason did she not have to be happy? Her friend Nick was going be in the Scouts that he always wanted to join. But as she skipped, she started having this sort of feeling in her chest. Not a happy one, but a sad one. She stopped for a moment and started to feel concern.

"Wha... what this... feeling I'm getting? It's like... something is wrong." Judy thought as she gripped her chest. She then tried to snap out of it. "No. I'm just overthinking things. Nothing's wrong. Nick's gonna join the Junior Rangers and I'm gonna be there for him."

Putting a smile on her face, she continued walking down the streets to the corner where the Junior Ranger Scouts HQ was. As she walked to the corner... she started to hear something with her bunny ears. It sounded like... crying.

"Huh? Is someone... crying?" Judy said to herself as she looks at every direction.

Judy continues to walk down the street and noticed something. Someone was lying near the staircase of the Ranger Scouts HQ crying. Judy walked closer so she could get a better look at who it was. Once she saw the fox tail and orange fur, she knew it was Nick.

"Nick?" Judy said looking stunned to see it was him. "NICK!"

Worried about her friend, Judy then quickly dashed to Nick's side to see what's wrong.

"Nick! Nick! Are you okay?" Judy said concerned.

"J... Judy?" Nick said as he lifted his head. He had tears in his ears. "Wh... what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you." Judy said as she comforts him. She looked at Nick and notices that he wasn't wearing his Scout's cap and it was nowhere to be found. "Nick, what happened? Why are you crying?"

What happened? Why was he crying? It seems that those words triggered some flashbacks of what just happened to Nick? Nick lightly pushed Judy away and went back to curling up near the stairs. This made Judy even more worried.

"Nick?" Judy called out to her friend.

"They... rejected me." Nick said sadly.

"What?" Judy said shocked.

"They rejected me, Judy." Nick said. "They wouldn't let me join... because I'm a fox."

"Are you serious?!" Judy said not looking too happy. "How could they do that?"

"There's more." Nick said looking sadder. "They pushed me down to the ground and then they... they..." Nick started to tear up more for the next thing he was about to say. "... they put a muzzle on me."

"WHAT?!" Judy shouted sounding a bit mad.

Judy then looked on the ground and the saw the muzzle near Nick. She picked it up and looked at it. She couldn't believe that the scouts were so cruel to put this on him. Just the thought that them putting this muzzle on Nick, made Judy really mad. Actually, she wasn't just mad. She was furious. She violently throws the muzzle down to the ground and made her way to the stairs.

"Stay here." Judy told Nick. "I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind."

"J... Judy?" Nick said lifting his head. He gets up sees Judy climbing up the stairs. "Judy, wait!"

Judy didn't listen. She was too filled with rage as she opened the door and went inside. We walked near the stairs down and saw them. The scout troop that wouldn't let Nick join and put the muzzle on him. Pack 914. There was a woodchuck, a zebra, a wildebeest, a hippo, and a deer. All boys. All prey.

"HEY!" Judy shouted out in anger.

"Oh. Umm... how can we..." The woodchuck said trying to act nice.

"SAVE IT, YOU JERKS! I KNOW WHAT YOU DID!" Judy shouted out and she goes down all the stairs and faces them directly. "How can you do that to him?"

"Oh you mean that fox?" The woodchuck said dropping the nice act. "You should be thanking us."

"Thanking you?!" Judy said still mad. "That **fox** is my **friend**."

Hearing Judy said that, made all the scouts laugh and not in a good way.

"A bunny who's friends with a fox? That's got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard." The wildebeest said.

"Yeah. Seriously." The deer said.

"You're the real stupid ones if really think that way." Judy stated. "You wouldn't let Nick join you guys all because he was a fox?"

"Didn't your mommy and daddy ever tell you? You can't trust foxes." The woodchuck said.

Even though it was true that Judy's parent did tell her that, they realized that they were wrong when they all became friends with the Wildes. But she didn't want to tell them that.

"You don't trust him because he's a fox? You don't even know a thing about him." Judy said.

"Like you do." The hippo said.

"Of course I do. I've been friends with Nick for weeks now and I trust him." Judy stated.

"Hate to break it to you, but are you REALLY sure you can trust him?" The woodchuck said. "For all you know, he's just been trying to gain your trust so he can get you while your guard is down."

Judy was beyond disgusted by what the woodchuck just said.

"YOU... YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND!" Judy shouted. "Nick fought a bully for me, twice. He showed me around Zootopia with just the two of us. We told each other things that we normally wouldn't tell others. I trust Nick more than anyone. But you jerks wouldn't know that cause you didn't even give him a chance."

"Psssh... as if we're gonna believe you." The deer said.

"Bottomline, we are not gonna let a sharp teeth predator, let alone a fox, in our pack." The woodchuck said. "Now unless you actually looking for trouble, get out of here."

Judy was still mad at all of them. She had several more things to say. But with the fact that she was outnumbered and she was clearly outsized by everyone, she realized that she had no choice but to leave.

"Fine!" Judy said before sticking her tongue at them. Judy then spots Nick's cap from the ground and picks it up. "And I'm taking this with me."

Judy then went up the stairs, but as she did, she heard some things said by some of the scouts.

"Can you believe how dumb she is? And what's with that costume?" The woodchuck asked with a grin.

"As if a bunny can be a cop." The hippo said.

Judy halted for a moment. It was hard for her to hold her anger for so long, but she knew she couldn't do anything against all of them on her own. So she continued climbing the stair and made her way out. But not before muttering something.

"This... isn't... over." Judy muttered to herself.

Judy went back to Nick, who was still lying down near the stairs. Judy walked back and forward, still ticked off about those scouts.

"I can't believe those jerks." Judy shouted out. "Not letting you join them. Putting a muzzle on you. Not trusting you because you're a fox."

"It's fine." Nick said.

"NO, it's not." Judy shouted out.

"I said... it's fine." Nick said in a bit of a serious tone.

Judy stopped walking and looked at Nick with concern. Why would Nick say "It's fine." when none of it was?

"Nick..." Judy said looking concern.

"I was an idiot to think that they would let a fox like me join them." Nick said depressed.

"Nick, you know you're not an idiot. But those jerks are." Judy told him. She then offered Nick his cap back. "Come on. Let's just get out of here."

Nick still kept his head down as he lay by the stairs. He still couldn't believe what happen to him. All he ever wanted to do was join the Junior Rangers Scouts. But is judged because he is a fox. This wasn't the first time either. The people in the city and some of the kids in school judged him too. It felt to him that this... this was the last straw.

"I give up." Nick said.

"What?" Judy said.

"I give up." Nick said. "Not just the scouts, but everything. I give up on everything."

"You can't be serious, Nick." Judy said looking worried.

"I AM serious." Nick said as he lifted his head up and looking at Judy. "Gideon was right. No matter how much us foxes try, no one will see us more than that. They will always just think of us as 'sly', 'conniving', and 'untrustworthy'. So... there is no point in trying anymore."

Judy couldn't believe that Nick said that. He was willing to give up on everything and just be the fox that everyone would expect him to be?

"Nick... you can't really mean that?" Judy asked.

"I do." Nick said in a serious tone. "It's all just pointless."

Judy knew that Nick didn't mean any of the things he was saying. But that fact that he was actually saying it made Judy's heart ache a bit.

"Nick, I know you're sad, but you can't just give up on everything." Judy said as she walked closer to Nick. "Things might seem tough now, but I promise you that things will be..."

"STOP IT, JUDY!" Nick shouted and slapping his cap off Judy's paws. Judy halted and was stunned that Nick actually yelled her. "OPEN YOUR EYES! THIS CITY IS A LIE! You can't be anything. Just who you are. The mammals here DON'T get along. Everyone judges you for what you are. No one does more then what they are supposed to. Even you. Face it. Your dream of being a police officer may never really happen. The sooner you realize that... lesser it will hurt."

This was quick a shocker. Nick was the one who always supported Judy and her dream. Now she was telling her not to follow it. For the first time ever, Judy was actually mad at Nick. Like, 'for real' mad.

"So that's it? One bad thing and you give up on the world?" Judy asked Nick. "Listen, Nick, you just can't let others judge you just because you're a fox. If you do that, then you let them win." Judy then walks a little closer to Nick. "Also, you can't just tell others what they can and can't do. I won't stop at nothing from being a real officer." Judy still was pretty mad, but she spoke calmer to Nick. "Nick, I know you. I know that you don't really mean anything you just said. But I want you to admit it. So say it, Nick."

Nick didn't say anything. He just remained silent.

"Say it, Nick." Judy said started to get more serious.

Nick continued to be silent. Judy started to lose her patience.

"Fine. You like giving people choices, so this time... I'm giving you a choice." Judy said. This got Nick attention. "You can be who you REALLY are and always have been. A fox that's the most trustworthy mammal that I know and my best friend or be the conniving and untrustworthy fox people think you are when you really aren't. But Nick, if you pick that... then... then..." At that moment, Judy started to shed a few tears from her eyes with the next thing she was about to say. "... we can't be friends anymore."

Just saying that was really painful for Judy. But she had to be said. How could she stay friends with someone who isn't willing to try anymore? The real question was... what was Nick's choice gonna be? If he gave up on everything, it would mean that he would have to give up on having Judy as a friend. His only true friend. If he did that, he could just be the fox everyone thinks he is. Never having to live by others' expectations. Never having to be anything more. But how could he? It's wasn't worth it. Not if it meant losing Judy as a friend. Just the thought of it made it feel like Nick's heart was breaking into a thousand pieces.

"I... I still want to be friends with you, Judy." Nick said as he starting crying again. "I won't give up. Just please... please stay friends with me."

Judy was still crying too. But they were happy tears and tears of relief. She then went over to hug Nick.

"Oh, Nick. I'm sorry I had to say that." Judy said. "I didn't really mean it."

"I know. I needed to hear that. All of it." Nick said. "I don't want to lose you as a friend, Judy. Your friendship is just too precious to me."

"Your friendship is precious to me too." Judy said.

Nick then lean his forehead on Judy's forehead. They were both crying still, but the two of them comfort each other.

"Okay Nick, time to wipe those big fox tears from your eyes." Judy said to Nick with a light smile.

"Ha! I should be saying the same about your little bunny tears." Nick said lightly smiling.

"You were crying way before me." Judy stated lightly smiling.

"Yet you're crying much more than I am." Nick said smirking.

"No fair. We bunnies are emotional." Judy stated.

"That's not a good excuse, now is it?" Nick asked.

After a quick laugh and wiping the tears from their eyes, Judy helped Nick get up from the ground.

"So Nick, are you feeling better?" Judy asked.

"A little. Not a lot, but better." Nick said.

"Let's talk a little further from here." Judy said. "I may not have a good of a nose as you, but I can still smell the stench of jerks in the area."

"Alright." Nick said.

As the two walked, Judy picked up Nick's cap. While she was doing that, Nick looked down on the ground where the muzzle that the scouts put on him was. He was pretty angry. Even if he hated that thing and the fact the scouts put it on him, he still picked it up from the ground and held onto it for some reason. Nick and Judy walked to the corner of the street so they could talk.

"Now Nick, you and I both know we can't let those guys get away with what they did." Judy said.

"I know." Nick said.

"If those guys did that to you, how can we not say that they are gonna do the same thing to someone else who wanted to join just like you?" Judy said.

"What do you expect the two of us to do?" Nick asked. "It's just the two of us. A fox and a bunny against the five of them. How are we gonna deal with that?"

"Come on, Nick. I've seen the five of them and from what I can see, the two of us alone are definitely smarter than the five of them put together." Judy stated.

"I won't argue with that." Nick said as he crossed his arm.

"So Nick… do you still like pulling pranks?" Judy asked with a sly smile.

"I'm listening." Nick said smiling slyly as well.

"When's their next meeting?" Judy asked.

"Next week." Nick said.

"Okay, here's the plan." Judy said.

Judy then whispered her plan into Nick's ears. Nick nodded and said "Uh huh." for each part that of the plan he liked. She then finished explaining her plan.

"How that?" Judy asked.

"It's a good plan and all. But…. there are a few faults to it." Nick said not feeling too sure about the whole plan. "If it's okay, I would like to add some stuff."

"Add away." Judy said.

Nick then lean down to whisper his idea for a plan to Judy. Judy was shocked with some of the things Nick was suggested but still listen to him.

"Woah! That's a bit of crazy." Judy said.

"I know it's crazy, but that's what I had in mind." Nick said.

"Are you… sure you want to do that?" Judy asked.

"They already think I'm an untrustworthy fox. If they are gonna think that way of me, then I'll show them what an 'untrustworthy' fox can do." Nick said. "So, are you with me?"

Judy then offered Nick his cap back.

"You know I am. I always will be." Judy said.

Nick then took his cap from Judy.

"You know, it's funny. I remember Gideon saying something about you not knowing when to quit. He even said I was just like you." Nick said. "And you know what? He's right. You don't know when to quit…." Nick then put his cap back on and had a confident smile on his face. "… and neither do I."

 **Even if things didn't really work out for Nick and the Scouts, it looks like he and Judy have a plan to get back at them. The question is… what is the plan that the two have in mind? You will have to find out in the next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9: Redemption & Seeing the Truth

**Alright! Time for Chapter 9. Which I like to call the payback chapter. It's also gonna be quite a powerful chapter in my opinion. If you remember the last chapter, Nick got rejected by the Junior Ranger Scouts and felt that he should give up on the world. But thanks to Judy, Nick is willing not to give up yet. But now, Nick and Judy are planning to get back at the Junior Ranger Scouts for what they did to him. Quite a few of the stuff in this chapter is from ideas I got from watching parts of the movie. What is this plan that the two have in mind for them? Let's find out, shall we?**

* * *

It was nighttime in the city of Zootopia. In the Wilde's house, Nick put on his scout uniform and Judy had on her police officer costume. Nick and Judy were about to go to tonight's Junior Ranger Scout's meeting. Judy got permission from her parents this time.

"Okay, mom and pop. I'm heading to my Scout's meeting." Nick shouted out.

"And I'm coming with him." Judy shouted.

"Alright then." Francine said as she was cleaning a dish.

"Hang on." John said as he walks over to Nick. "Your handkerchief is a little off. Let me fix it."

John fixed Nick's handkerchief so it looked proper.

"There you go." John said.

"Thanks, pop." Nick said with a smile.

"Now Judy, remember to go back to your family at the motel once you all done with things at Nick's meeting." John told Judy.

"Yes, Mr. Wilde." Judy said.

"Come on, Carrots. Let's go." Nick said.

"Right behind you." Judy said cheerily.

"Stay safe, you two." Francine said.

"We will." Nick and Judy said.

With that said, Nick and Judy both left the house. As they did, the happy looks on their faces turned into serious ones.

"Remember the plan?" Judy asked Nick.

"Every... Last... Bit." Nick said. "Been going through it all week."

Nick and Judy didn't tell either of their parents what happen last week. About the scouts not accepting Nick or them putting a muzzle on him. They didn't want either of their parents to worry or get involved. Nick and Judy started walking down the streets.

"Ugh! I hate lying to mom and pop about this." Nick told Judy.

"The same for me and my parents." Judy said. "The only ones who really know are my brothers and sisters. Don't worry. We have a Sibling Code, so they won't tell."

"How did they reacted when you told them?" Nick asked.

"Well Conner and Cole wanted to tie them all with ropes, Lily and Abby wanted to slap them in the face with baseball bats, and Greg and Eric wanted them all to hang over a pit of fire." Judy stated. "The rest said things that were... a bit 'darker' than that."

"I'm really liking your family." Nick said smirking a bit.

"They all wanted to come too and give those jerks a good whooping. But I told them all to not get involved yet so that we could handle this on our own." Judy said.

"Judy, are you sure you want to get involved? I mean, this is more of my problem than yours." Nick told Judy.

"Nick, we've been through this. You are my friend. Your problem is my problem." Judy stated. "They mess with you, they're messing with me too. Best friend code."

"Thanks." Nick said happily.

The two walked for a while until they faced the stairs of Junior Ranger Scout Headquarters.

"Well... here we are." Nick said to Judy as he rubs his neck a bit. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Judy said. "Is it weird that I'm not scared at all?"

"You tell me. I'm not scared either." Nick said. "Maybe it's because the two of us know that we have each other's back."

"I think you're right." Judy said lightly smiling.

"That and you said it yourself. The two of us are smarter than those five put together." Nick said. "So... we just need to use that to our advantage."

"Exactly." Judy said. "I know we can do it."

"Alright. Let's do this." Nick said.

Both Nick and Judy took deep breathe before going up the stairs, opening the door, and stepping inside. As they go to the staircase leading downstairs, they see all five of the scouts of Pack 914. The zebra, wildebeest, hippo, deer, and woodchuck. Nick decided to make their presense be known.

"Heeeey heeey... hey." Nick said with a sly smile on his face. "How are you all today?"

"Well look who's back? The crybaby fox and the wannabe cop bunny." The woodchuck said with a devious grin.

"Oh golly! Hear that, Judy? The dumb-dumbs actually remember us?" Nick said to Judy.

"I guess they DO have brains." Judy said as they finish walking down all the stairs.

"So... this time you brought the bunny with you. I'm surprised that you haven't eaten her yet." The woodchuck said with a smirk. The other scouts started to laugh along.

Judy wasn't too happy about the joke, but Nick seems to have a joke of his own at paw.

"Funny. By the way, quick question. How much wood DID you chuck today? You know, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" Nick said continuing to smirk.

The scouts all stopped laughing when Nick said his joke and now Judy was the one that was laughing.

"Heehee! Good one, Slick." Judy said before the two of them bump paws.

"What are you two doing here anyway?" The woodchuck asked in a serious tone. "And why are you still wearing OUR uniform?"

"What? I like wearing it." Nick stated smiling and shrugging. "I can't help that I look so good in this uniform or the fact that it looks better on me than any of you guys. Right, Carrots?"

"Oh, most definitely. Waaaaaay more deserving than these dummies." Judy said smirking.

All the scouts were starting to get pretty mad with Nick and Judy. What was going on? Nick is acting much more different than the way he was last week. Where did Nick get all this confidence from to talk so much smack at the scouts?

"Are you two here to make jokes or for something else?" The woodchuck said starting to lose his temper. "Last time we told you to get out. So get out."

Both Nick and Judy had serious expressions on their faces.

"No. I don't think we will." Nick said as he crosses his arms. "You own the two of us an apology."

"And we don't plan to leave until we get one." Judy said as she put her arm behind her back.

"Apologize for what? For you being a fox?" The zebra said.

"No. Apologize for tricking me when I wanted to join and putting a muzzle on me." Nick said starting to sound a bit angry.

"You judged Nick for being a fox and thinking that he was untrustworthy. But Nick didn't do anything wrong." Judy stated. "Instead, you guys were the untrustworthy ones with what you did."

"What? We did nothing wrong." The hippo said in a sly tone.

"We were only defending ourselves from a sharp-toothed fox who might try to hurt us." The deer said in a sly tone as well.

"You know darn well that's not true." Nick said. "The real reason was that you were all too stupid to think a fox could actually be good and trustworthy."

"So instead, you put a muzzle on him. Did you really not want a predator to join your pack that bad?" Judy asked.

"What are you, detectives? What do you want us to say?" The hippo asked as he crossed his arms.

"We WANT all you jerks to tell the truth. The REAL truth." Nick said seriously.

The woodchuck stepped forward and faced Nick directly.

"You want the truth? Fine." The woodchuck said. "Yes. We don't want a predator, let alone a fox, in our pack. Your kind can't be trusted. It's as simple as that."

Nick and Judy still had serious looks on their faces. They wanted to be mad, but they had to keep themselves not looking fazed by the woodchuck's words.

"So you can go off and tell some grown-ups all you want. It's not like anyone's gonna believe a sly fox and a dumb bunny over a pack of Junior Ranger Scouts. It's our word against yours." The woodchuck said smiling sly.

The other scouts all chuckled and laughed because it seems that they had the advantage over Nick and Judy. Yet, Nick and Judy didn't seem fazed by it at all. Instead, the two both looked at each other and then smiled slyly.

"What's... with those grins?" The woodchuck asked looking concern.

Then... everyone heard something.

 _"Yes. We don't want a predator, let alone a fox, in our pack. Your kind can't be trusted. It's as simple as that."_

The scouts' eyes all widen when they hear that. It sounded like a recording of what the woodchuck just said. Then from behind Judy's back, she revealed that she was holding on to a carrot pen that doubled as a recorder.

"What was that about our word against yours?" Nick said with a sly smirk.

"I think it's more of your word against your word now." Judy stated also smirking.

"Wha... what is that?" The wildebeest asked looking concern.

"Oh, this?" Judy said waving her pen a bit. "Just a pen that also doubles as a recorder."

"And it just happened to record what Mr. Woodchuck-could-chuck-wood just said. You know about not letting a predator join or our that kind can't be trusted." Nick stated.

The scouts then all had shocked looks on their faces.

"See, we knew you guys just couldn't resist talking all big n stuff. So we planned for you say something." Nick said.

"All we needed to do was record you actually telling the truth." Judy said. "I believe in fox terms, it's called a... what's the word, Nick?"

"I believe the word you are looking for is... a _hustle_ , my dear friend." Nick told Judy with a smirk as he places his left arm around Judy.

"That's the word. We _hustled_ these guys." Judy said.

"We sure did." Nick said.

The scouts all didn't seem to happy. They thought they had the advantage over Nick and Judy. But it seems that the fox and bunny had turned the tables on them.

"Now, whatever shall we do with this information, Nick?" Judy asked slyly as she rubbed the tip of her pen on her chin.

"Well, we could play this information to our parents who wouldn't be too happy about to hear it." Nick stated. "Most likely, they would go to their parents and tell them about their behavior. Odds are they would all be in BIG trouble and probably all get grounded for life."

The scouts all had worried expressions on their faces.

"Or I could play this to some of my many brothers and sisters who are all fond of you. I'm sure they would like to have a few words with them. All 275 of them." Judy stated.

Now Judy and her siblings may all be bunnies, but no one can deal with 275 of them at once. Not even the Junior Ranger Scouts. So you can tell by the looks on their faces that they were a little scared of the idea of having to deal with so many bunnies.

"Or... we can pull out the big guns and play this to their pack leader. You know, the boss of these guys." Nick said. "I sure that he wouldn't be too proud of his scouts harming and muzzling someone who just wanted to join them. Might even be forced to kick them all out of the scouts."

The scouts really started to worry now. It may have seemed that the scouts ran things on their own, but even they had an adult, who was the pack leader, be the one that called the shot. If he were to find out that his pack rejected someone who wanted to join, it would not end well for the scouts.

"But Nick, isn't there a bigger gun the two of us could pull out?" Judy asked.

"Why Judy, are you referring to playing this recording to Officer Tigrelo of the Zootopia Police Department?" Nick asked continuing with the sly act.

"Why yes, Nick. Yes, I am." Judy answered.

First parents, then Judy's siblings, then their pack leader, now the police? It was like Nick and Judy had knots tied around all the scouts' necks.

"Now Judy, I don't think this is serious enough to get the police involved." Nick said before doing another sly smile. "Unless... does ganging up on me and putting a muzzle on me count for anything? I'm just a 'sly' fox, so I don't really know."

"Well I'm just a 'dumb' bunny, but I do believe that those all count as acts of assault and discrimination." Judy stated. "Now Nick, would you say that you were hurt both physically and mentally?"

"Why yes. Yes, I would." Nick stated. "A few bruishes when they push me down and I was traumatized when they put the muzzle on me."

"Ooooooh. That's not good. For them." Judy said. "All five of them ganging up on you maaaay mean they will have to pay a fine."

"A fine?" The scouts all said.

"Yes. A fine. As in money. Now my memory is a little fuzzy, but I do believe the fines for assault are around... $100 to $500. Minimum." Judy stated.

"WHAT?!" All the scouts shouted.

"That much? Yeeessh! I'm starting to feel sorry for them." Nick said even though he was still smiling sly. "Now wait? I know I'm not a bunny like you, so my multiplication is off. But if I did the math right, since there are five of them, that means that their total fine would be as high as 2500 big ones. Yikes! Hate to be them."

$2500? The scouts were all really starting to look scared now. Bet that they were starting to regret what they did. But it still seems like Nick and Judy still had more to say.

"Say Carrots? What would happen if they DIDN'T pay the fine?" Nick asked.

"Well Slick, if they don't... they would have to face some serious jail time." Judy stated.

"Ja... ja... JAIL?!" All the scouts shouted ever more scared.

"Now Judy. They are all just kids like us. They're too young for jail." Nick stated. The scouts all sighed for relief. But then Nick continued. "Juvie, however, that's jail for kids. With a lot of big kids. Big **scary** kids."

The scouts went back to being scared.

"Now Nick, if I recall, the average sentence would be... one to four months." Judy stated.

"One to four months? Wow! So 30 to 120 days?" Nick said. "That would defientely do a dent in their school time."

"Indeed it would." Judy said.

"So much, in fact, that it would also cause them to miss most of the school year, as well as work." Nick stated. "Most likely they would all have to be held back and do the whole year again. By then, they would already be blacklisted with a criminal record. So getting into a good school would be difficult. In fact, getting a good job or career would be difficult too."

"That's right. So you can say that we LITERALLY have their future in the palm of our paws." Judy said. "And to think, it all could have been avoided if they had let you join in the first place."

"Well, then I guess our next move is up to them." Nick said to Judy. Then both Nick and Judy looked at the scouts. "So... are you all ready to apologize?"

It seemed like Nick and Judy had got them. Hook, line, and sinker. All the scouts were really scared now. Who would have guessed that a fox and a bunny could outsmart all five of them? (Expect for the fox and the bunny themselves.) Now it seems that the Junior Ranger Scouts had a choice to make.

"Huddle!" The woodchuck said frantically to all his fellow scouts.

The scouts then all huddled up to discussed their situation. Nick and Judy crossed their arms and waited for their response. After a minute of a huddle, it seems that the scouts finally came to a decision.

"Okay. We discuss things." The woodchuck said. "It seems that you two REALLY have our paws tied with that pen of yours."

"Hehe." Nick and Judy laughted.

"So..." The woodchuck said before having a mischievous smile on his face. "We'll just have to take it from you."

"Huh?" Nick and Judy said as their eyes widen.

At that moment, the zebra and the wildebeest surrounded Nick and grabbed him by his arms and held him down.

"NICK!" Judy shouted.

Then the hippo grabbed Judy and held her up.

"Got ya, little bunny." The hippo said with a grin.

"Let her go." Nick shouted at them.

"Don't worry we will. Just as soon as we get that pen." The woodchuck said with a serious look. "Hand over the pen, bunny."

"No! I'm not gonna give it to you." Judy said as she held the pen tighter.

"I said... HAND IT OVER!" The woodchuck said as he forcefully grabbed at Judy's arm.

"OWW! YOU'RE HURTING ME!" Judy shouted in pain.

Nick saw and heard Judy's cries in pain. If there was one thing that Nick hated, it was seeing someone hurt Judy. At that moment, something happened with Nick. It was like he snapped and started to go feral.

"Grrrrrrrr..." Nick growled.

"Hey... guys? Something's wrong with the fox?" The deer said.

"Huh?" Everyone said as they looked at Nick.

Nick then growled even more as he bared out his fangs at the scouts. Seeing Nick with such a frightful expression, the zebra and the wildebeest both let go of Nick. The hippo also let go of Judy. Nick got on the ground on all fours. As if he was acting like a savage fox centuries ago before evolution. This started making everyone else scared and concern.

"Wha... what's with him? Why is he acting like that?" The woodchuck asked.

"Oh no." Judy said. "Don't you know what happens when you make a predator unset or really angry? It causes the reflexes in their brains to trigger on and they start reverting to their savage ways."

"What? Are you serious?" The woodchuck shouted in a bit worried.

"Are you not looking at him? The growling and him being on all fours? All signs of savage behavior. THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Judy shouted at them as she pointed at the woodchuck's chest. "All Nick ever wanted to do was be a part of your pack. But you just had to reject him. Now he's like this because of you."

"She's got a point, dude." The zebra stated to the woodchuck.

"Let's just get out of here." The hippo shouted out.

Everyone tried to run for the stairs, but Nick quickly dashed and blocked the way out. Since it seemed like the fox meant business, every take a few steps away from him. When Judy was taking a step back, she slipped and fell to the ground. The scouts all backed up to the corner of the room. Nick, slowly walked to Judy while doing some growling. It was looking like Nick was about to pounce on Judy.

"Nick, no." Judy said looking scared.

"Huh. See that? You so-called friend his about to have you for dinner." The woodchuck said. "Bet you're regretting being friends with him now."

The next thing to happen was... surprising. Nick actually went around Judy and angrily growled at the scouts. The scouts are now both scared and confused.

"Wait, why is he going around her?" The woodchuck said frantically.

"Isn't it obvious?" Judy said. "Even in this state, Nick knows that he's not angry at me. His anger is at you guys. Starting to regret things now?"

"Uhhhh... yeah." The hippo said looking really scared.

"If it helps, we're sorry Nick. REALLY sorry." The wildebeest said. "You forgive us, right?"

"RAAHHHHHH!" Nick shouted out in anger. Clearly, he didn't forgave them.

"Bunny girl! Help us!" The woodchuck shouted to Judy.

"Now why would I help you?" Judy said as she crossed her arms. "After all, you were the one who a muzzle on Nick and made him this way. In my opinion, this is karma coming back to bite you."

It seem that Judy was right. This was karma for the scouts. As they have learned a little too late as they all start to weep in the corner.

"And to think, this all could have been avoided if you didn't put that muzzle on him." Judy said.

Nick slowly and viciously crawled to the front of the frightened scouts. After one more snarl, he was about to pounce on them. The scouts all responded by shouting out loud screams.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The scouts shouted in fear.

They continue to shout for several seconds expecting to be fox chow by now. Except for one... nothing was happening. None of them were getting attacked or bitten. It was just Nick standing on all fours with a wide, sly grin on his face.

"You guys can stop screaming now." Nick told them.

After hearing Nick say that, they all slowly began to stop screaming.

"Well, that was fun." Nick said as he got back on two legs and brushed himself up a bit. "That should make us even." Nick then walks a bit two where Judy was. "See Judy? I told you it would fool them."

"What?" The scouts said confused.

"You were right, Nick." Judy said as she gets up and walks to him. "When you're right, you're right. And you're almost ALWAYS right."

"But I must admit, I was worried that you wouldn't be convincing enough." Nick said. "I remember you acting from the talent show."

"Oh har har. Well I'm surprised that your acting was so convincing too. It was like you had really gone savage." Judy stated.

The scouts still had looks of confusion on their faces.

"Well you were the one who sold it with that whole reflexes and reverting to our savage ways talk." Nick said. "Grrr! I've gone savage and I'm gonna eat you." Nick said as he pretends to be savage at Judy again, but less believible.

"Eeeeek! I'm so scared. Whatever should I do?" Judy said pretending to be scared.

"Hahahaha!" Nick and happily laughted.

"Hold on! WHAT is going on here?" The woodchuck asked still confused.

"You guys STILL haven't figured it out?" Judy asked the scouts.

"Now remember Judy, it's them. Maybe we should 'dumb' it down for them a bit." Nick suggested with a smirk. Nick then turned to the scouts. "To put things simple, this was all a ruse."

"WHAT?!" The scouts all shouted.

"You know, a trick. A prank. A scheme. A tactic. In other words, a hustle you with a hustle in a hustle." Nick stated as he place his hand on Judy's shoulder.

"A double hustle." Judy stated.

"We double hustled you good. BOOM!" Nick said.

The Junior Ranger Scouts responded by dropping their jaws.

"I can see by those looks in your faces that you are still confused." Nick stated still grinning. "Prehaps I should explain everything from the beginning. See, Judy was the one who came up with the idea to use her carrot pen to record you guys. While I... was the one who came up with our little 'savage act'. You see, I figured that you guys wouldn't be too happy once we got you to say what we needed to hear and recorded you. Then you guys would try to take the pen. So when you tried to take the pen from Judy, all I needed to do was have a reason to go 'savage'."

"Which was when you guys grabbed me and tried to hurt me." Judy stated.

"After that, the rest was a snap." Nick said while doing a snap. "I had to been really convincing. So I watch a few nature shows on how foxes use to be and practiced for a whole week. It was hard, but I knew I could pull it off."

"So... this whole time... you were just tricking us?" The zebra asked.

"Uhhh... yeah." Nick and Judy said.

"Come on. Predators getting really angry and reflexes in their brains triggering them to revert to being savages? Really?" Judy questioned them. "You guys should know that's impossible."

"All predators today are waaaaay too evolve to ever let that happen. It's just not in our DNA anymore." Nick stated.

The scouts all got up from the ground and all looked pretty mad. The woodchuck seem to be the most angry out of everyone.

"So everything was just you guys playing us?" The woodchuck asked ticked out.

"Yes it was." Nick said seriously. "And you guys all deserved it."

"Yeah." Judy said just as serious as Nick was.

"We knew you were an untrustworthy fox." The woodchuck stated.

"Excuse me? How is what I did to you guys any different from what you did to me?" Nick asked him keeping a serious look on his face. "You guys think I'm untrustworthy when you yourselves did something that's the DEFINITION of untrustworthy."

"You're a fox. Being untrustworthy is in you being." The woodchuck said.

"SINCE WHEN DOES BEING A FOX MEANS BEING UNTRUSTWORTHY?!" Nick shouted out. "Answer me that."

"Well umm... you see... because..." The woodchuck said trying to think of an answer. But he couldn't think of a real answer. Not just him, but the rest of scouts couldn't think of an answer either.

"See? You can't think of anything, can you?" Nick stated at them. "You hear a few stories about foxes, but are all of them be even true? Not only that, if all foxes are so untrustworthy, what does that say about other mammals?" Nick then walked to face the Zebra. "Are all zebras just a black and white face in the crowd?" Nick then walked to face the hippo. "Are hippos just hungry and heavy wastes of space?" Nick then walked to the deer. "Are deers overly timid about everything?" Nick then walked to the wildebeest. "Are wildebeests really the thunderhands of the mammal kingdom?" Nick then finally walked to the woodchuck. "Do woodchucks actually even chuck wood?" Nick then walked back to Judy. "When it comes do to it, none of us are really what we are. I won't lie, some foxes might be bad. But the same can be said about other mammals too. Prey OR Predator."

Judy nodded and agreed with everything Nick was say. The scouts, they didn't seem as angry as they were before. In fact, it looked like they were actually taking Nick's words in mind.

"I may be a fox, but that doesn't define who I am." Nick stated. "You want to know who I really am? Cause I'll tell you." Nick then went from sounding serious to sounding sincere. "My name is Nicholas Piberius Wilde. The proud son of Johnathan 'Wide Smile' Wilde and Francine Wilde. I lived in this city all my life. I get As and Bs in schools. I don't get into trouble. I enjoy playing video games. I LOVE blueberries. Lastly and most importantly..." Nick then looked at Judy. "... my best friend, is a bunny name Judy Hopps. Someone who is a better friend than I could ever ask for."

Judy smiled at Nick for say that. Nick then went back to looking at the scouts.

"That's who I am. The real me." Nick said proudly. "So, if none of you can even see that, then you guys are the ones who are dumber than you look."

It seem like Nick has said his peace and was now waiting for the others to respond. The scouts all looked at each other and after thinking about everything Nick just said, they finally realized that he was right. While some foxes are bad, Nick wasn't one of them. Not only that, it wasn't like what they did to him wasn't wrong.

"He does have a point, guys." The zebra said.

"We didn't really get to know him." The deer said.

"And it's not like putting a muzzle on him was the right thing to do." The hippo said.

"Alright. I guess we did jump the gun, thinking you were bad." The woodchuck said.

"Yes you did." Nick said as he crossed his arms.

"I suppose you're right about everything you said. While some foxes may be bad, the same can be said about other mammals too. Prey or Predator." The woodchuck said. "So, I guess what we're trying to say is..."

"We're sorry." All the scouts said to Nick while bowing their heads down.

So they all actually apologized to Nick. Nick didn't expect it, but it still seems that he was willing to accept their apology.

"So Nick... if you still want to join our pack, we're willing to let you join for real this time." The woodchuck told said.

Nick and Judy's eye widen when they heard him say that.

"Really?" Judy said. "You hear that, Nick?"

"So... what do you say?" The woodchuck asked Nick.

Nick couldn't believe it. Even after everything, the Junior Rangers Scouts were all willing to let him actually join them. Nick looked back at Judy, who was smiling a bit as her way of saying "Go for it, Nick." After thinking about everything for a few seconds, Nick gave them his answer.

"No." Nick said.

"What?" The scouts said surprised of Nick's answer.

"What?" Judy said surprised as well.

"I'm sorry. Did you guys not hear me?" Nick asked them. "What I said was NOOOOOOOOOOO. I won't be joining your little pack."

No? Did Nick really just say no? After wanting to join the Junior Ranger Scouts for so long, Nick tells them no? Why? Nick had an serious expression on his face.

"You think after rejecting me the first time, putting a muzzle on me, and insulting my friend that I would just join your little pack and pretend that none of this ever happen?" Nick asked them. "I don't think so. The Junior Ranger Scouts are suppose to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy. But you... you guys are none of those things. You're not brave enough to go with change, you're loyalty doesn't apply to anyone, you're only helpful to yourselves, and as far as trustworthy goes, none of you are."

Seem that Nick didn't forgive that scouts so easily.

"Let me ask you something. I'm not the only one you pull this little stunt on, am I?" Nick asked the scouts. The scouts didn't answer him. They just looked at each other. "AM I?" Nick said a bit more serious. Once again, none of the scouts answered him. Which was pretty much the same as saying yes. "I knew it. No wonder why they are no predators here. Everytime someone with sharp teeth came by to join, you guys scared them off. How can you guys be so cruel to do what you do?"

The scouts were starting to back up a bit with the way Nick was acting at them. Judy was a bit stunned with the things was saying to.

"Here something else I realized. When you scared me off, I thought it was because you wanted me to be afraid of you. But I know that's not the reason." Nick said. "The real reason... is because you guys are afraid of me, isn't is? But not just me, other predators too. Am I right?"

Like the two times before, the scouts didn't say anything.

"Afraid that one day we might all just go savage for real and sink our teeth into you all? Am I right?!" Nick shouted out at them.

The scouts all responded by flinching and looking a bit frighten. After seeing that, Nick got his answer.

"I see. Here I was starting to think that I was the problem. But I'm not the problem. YOU GUYS ARE!" Nick shouted out in anger. "Zootopia is suppose to be a city where anyone can be anything. It's also suppose to be a place where prey and predators can all get along. But how can we all get along if no one is willing to try. As long as that happens, NONE of us will learn anything. We would just stay a zoo of animals that constantly bump into each other. Do you all really want that for our city? Cause I sure don't."

Nick then took a deep breath and calm down a bit.

"Look. What I'm trying to say is... I always wanted nothing more than to be part of the Junior Ranger Scouts, be a part of a pack, and finally make some real friends." Nick said to them. "But... if being part of YOUR pack means being against predators, seeing people for what they are and not who they are, and insulting people who have big dreams, then..." Nick then got his claws out and ripped off the 9 and the 4 from the right of his shirt. "I don't want to be a part of it." The 9 and the 4 fell down to the ground. "I won't join your group if it means I have to lose my ethnics as well."

"Nick..." Judy said still surprised about everything.

Nick then walked over to Judy and looked at her.

"Judy." Nick said.

"Uhh... yes, Nick?" Judy said.

"Hand me your pen." Nick said to her as he held his paw out.

"But... why do you need..." Judy said.

"Pen, please." Nick said still having his paw out.

"Umm... okay." Judy said.

Judy then handed Nick her carrot pen. Nick looked at one of the buttons of the pen.

"This button will erase the recording, right?" Nick asked Judy.

Everyone's eyes widen as they heard Nick ask that. He wanted to **erase** the recording?

"Nick, what are you..." Judy said before being halted by Nick.

"This button will erase the recording, RIGHT?" Nick asked in a bit more of a serious tone.

"...Yes." Judy simply answered.

"Good." Nick said.

Nick then hit the button on the pen and just like that, the recording they had was erased. It surprised Judy that Nick would just erase the recording after they work so hard to get it. He then gave the pen back to Judy.

"Nick, why did you do that?" Judy asked.

"It's quite simple. We don't need any dirt on them." Nick said to Judy. He then looked at the scouts with an angry glare. "They're all dirty enough as is."

It Nick's words were knifes, they would hit each of the scouts right in the chest. At least that's how all the scouts felt when Nick said that.

"Now, just one more thing..." Nick said as he digged in his pockets to take something out. It was the muzzle that the scouts put on him. Nick throw the muzzle by the feet of the woodchuck. "Who deserves it more? The mammal who gets muzzled or the mammal who was heartless enough to actually put it on someone? Think about that."

Nick then held Judy's right paw.

"Let's get out of here." Nick said to Judy.

Nick took Judy and the two of them with up the stairs to leave. As the scouts see the two leave, the two then look at each other and start thinking deeply about Nick's word and their actions.

After a while, Nick and Judy were outside now standing beside a street corner. They were both waiting to cross the road. Nick still had an angry expression on his face while Judy was concern about her friend. Nick was still holding on to Judy's paw tightly.

"Nick... are you..." Judy said.

"I'm fine." Nick said still sounding a bit angry.

"I'm... sorry about everything." Judy said feeling down for Nick.

"What for? You didn't do anything wrong. This was my choice." Nick told her.

"But... why did you erase our recording of them? What if they pull the same stunt they did to you all over again?" Judy asked.

"They won't. Trust me. After what we did, I scared them straight." Nick said.

"..." Judy didn't say anything else.

"See Judy, it's like I told you before. We're all evolved. Prey can be just as vicious as some predators are now." Nick told her.

Judy continued to be silent. At that moment, Judy started to think about everything. For most of her life, Judy believed that predators were always the most dangerous ones. That their savaginess was still part of their DNA. But after knowing Nick for a while, talking to him, and hearing the Junior Ranger Scouts muzzled Nick and other predators, she realized that she was wrong about things once again. She also starts thinking more about how some predators may be mistreated in their world today. Then, tears started to fall from Judy's eyes. Nick's looks down at Judy and notices.

"Woah! Judy, why are you crying?" Nick asked worriedly.

"I'm sorry! I could have thought the same as they did." Judy said trying to wipe her tears with her free paw. "Bunnyburrow had only a few predators, yet we bunnies always feared them the same. My parents always told me not to trust foxes, but they we're wrong about foxes... like you, Gideon, and Mr. and Mrs. Wilde. If anything, it's us prey mammals' fault that foxes become the way they are. Nick, speaking for all prey, I'm so sorry."

As Judy continue to cry, Nick started to feel sad for her. It always bothered Nick to see Judy feel sorry for him. While it was true on how some mammals feel about predators, Nick didn't want Judy to take any of the blame.

"Come on. Get in here." Nick said to her.

Nick then went over to Judy and hugged her. Judy leaned her head on Nick's chest and was still crying quite a bit. Nick lightly smiled while trying to comfort Judy.

"There there, Carrots. You know I don't blame you for anything. So there's no need to feel bad about it." Nick said as he petted the back of her head. "Ha. You were right about you bunnies. You're so emotional."

"I'm getting your uniform wet." Judy stated as she still cried on Nick's chest.

"If it makes you feel better, the other scouts' uniforms might be a little wet too after the scare. If you know what I mean." Nick stated with a smirk.

Judy started to laugh a bit.

"I'm also pretty sure that their bed sheets are gonna be wet tonight, as well." Nick stated still with a wide smirk. "Yep, pretty sure we scarred them for life."

Judy started laughing a bit more.

"You always like to make me laugh, do you?" Judy asked Nick.

"Do you feel better now?" Nick asked.

"Yes. Thank you." Judy said as she stops crying and places her arms around Nick.

"Anyway Judy, I should be the one saying sorry to you." Nick said to her.

"What for?" Judy asked as she looked up at Nick.

"When I... was acting, I must have really scared you." Nick said. "You know I would never do anything to make you scared of me."

"Nick, I told you that I will never be scared of you." Judy told him.

"Come on, Judy. I was acting pretty well. You can't just tell me that I weren't afraid of me." Nick said.

"Nick, don't you remember what happens when I'm scared?" Judy asked as she points at her nose.

Nick then starts recalling everytime Judy was scared of something. When she was being bullied by Gideon, her nose twitched. When she was afraid to go down the slide, her nose twitched. But when Nick was pretending to be a savage fox, Judy's nose didn't twitch one bit. Nick finally realized that she was not afraid of him.

"You... weren't scared at all." Nick said.

"That's right." Judy said. "I told you before. I will never be scared of you. Cause you are my friend and no matter what others think, I know I can always trust you."

Both Judy and Nick smiled at each other. Still, Judy was concern for Nick about one thing.

"So Nick? What happens now? Does this mean, you're gonna give up on being a Junior Ranger Scout?" Judy asked.

"Give up? Who said anything about that?" Nick said to Judy. "If you remember, I said I wouldn't be a part of THEIR pack. So... I decided to make my own pack."

"Really?" Judy asked as she stopped hugging Nick.

"Of course." Nick said with with a smile. "But it will be different from those guys pack. The pack that I will plan will allow ANYONE to join. Prey or Predator. No matter what mammal they are." Nick then held Judy's paw again. "You can join too. That is if you want to."

"You know I will." Judy said smiling. "There's nothing I would want more."

"Well, we gonna need to find some more members to join us." Nick said. "I might try to find some of the guys who got rejected by those jerks. Maybe a few of your siblings can join too. We also need to think about a new pack name and number."

As Nick tried to think about that stuff, Judy looked at Nick's shirt and noticed that the number 1 was still attached to his shirt.

"How about Pack 1?" Judy said pointing at Nick's number.

"Oh. I didn't even notice that it was still attached. I meant to take out the whole number." Nick stated. But then he started to think about it. Pack 1 wasn't a bad pack number. In fact, it was like the best number. "You know what? You're right. I think we should let that be our pack number. Pack number 1, cause we're #1."

"Yeah. Then it's settle then." Judy said happily. "From this day, our pack number will be 1."

"Uh huh!" Nick said nodding.

Nick and Judy then shook paws and continued walking back home. As the two walked, they still held on to each others paws.

"You know Judy, from our whole ordeal, I've learned two things." Nick said. "One, I will make sure that no one knows that they got to me."

"And two?" Judy asked.

"If the world's gonna see a fox as shifty and untrustworthy... then I'm just gonna have to prove them wrong." Nick said boldly. "I want to prove to the world that there is more to a fox than what meets the eyes. I know I'm much more than that. It may take a while, but I want to show the city... no... the whole world that foxes can be honest and good. It might be hard and close to impossible, but I know I can do it. Then one day, people won't see all foxes as bad ever again."

"Wow Nick. That's really bold of you to say." Judy said.

"I have you to thank for that." Nick said to Judy.

"Me? I didn't really do anything." Judy said starting to blush.

"Of course you did. I can't thank you enough." Nick said. He then went over to hug Judy again. "I was ready to give up on everything. But you... you wouldn't let me. You never give up on me and for that... I'm grateful to you."

"Nick..." Judy said as Nick held her tightly.

"Judy, I know that I already told you this before. But thank you. Thank you so much for being my friend. I don't know what I would do if you weren't." Nick said.

"You got to stop doing that." Judy said.

"Stop doing what?" Nick asked.

"Saying the things that I wanted to say." Judy said with light smile.

The two did some more light laughter. It seems that their friendship has grown stronger, even after such a short time of knowing each other. It seem like the two would always make the other feel better. Nick and Judy then stopped hugging, but still held each others paws as they walked home.

"Say Judy. There is ONE more thing I wanted to talk to you about?" Nick said to Judy.

"Yes? What is it, Nick?" Judy asked.

"Ummm... welll..." Nick said looking a bit nervous.

"Go on." Judy said.

"Back there with the scouts, I got to say, the two of us make quite a team." Nick stated.

"I'll say. The two of us work well together." Judy said agreeing with Nick.

"That's what I wanted to ask you." Nick said. "If you happen to make it and become an officer of the ZPD... would you... consider having a partner?"

Judy eyes widen as Nick said that. Was Nick really considering being a cop when he grows up?

"Nick, are you saying that YOU want to be a police officer too?" Judy asked.

"Well... yeah." Nick said nodding. "I mean, there are no fox cops. So I'll just have to be the first. Think about it, Carrots. If I can become a cop, I can help increase the reputation of foxes to a good one. But the best part is helping you make the world a better place. Besides, I'm pretty sure you'll need my help with almost everything." Nick said with a sly smile.

"Hmmm... not sure if that last part was an insult or not." Judy said making a straight face.

"Face it, Carrots. You're gonna need me." Nick said confident that she would.

"I suppose you might be right." Judy said with a sly smile. " But don't forget, 'need' is a two- way street. You're gonna need me too."

"I thought that was already implied." Nick said joking around.

"Hahahaha!" Nick and Judy laughed.

"So... are we partners?" Nick asked.

"Partners." Judy said happily.

With that said, Nick and Judy decided when they get older, they will both become officers and partners at the ZPD. Knowing how well, those two work together, they'll be a great team. After a few more minutes, of walking the two finally made it to the front door of Nick's house.

"Well, here's my stop." Nick said. "Unless you want me to walk with you to the motel."

"No. I'll be fine." Judy said as she lets go of Nick's paw.

"Thanks again Judy. For everything." Nick said.

"Don't mention it. I was more than happy to help." Judy said with a smile.

"Well then... I guess I'll see you later." Nick said.

"Yeah. See ya." Judy said.

Judy then started to walk off and head back to the motel that her family was staying at. But then, she stopped for a moment. She then looked at Nick and walked back to him. Nick was a bit confused about this.

"Uhh... is something wrong?" Nick asked.

"Nick, do you mind leaning down for a minute?" Judy asked.

"Umm... sure." Nick said as he lead down a bit. "What f.."

At that moment, Judy did something that really surprised Nick. Judy kissed Nick on his left cheek for two whole seconds. They shocked Nick beyond words. He couldn't believe that Judy actually kissed him. After she was done, Judy toke a few steps back from Nick. Judy didn't say anything. She just lightly smile, tipped her hat, and ran off. Nick stood back up was still dumbfounded about what just happened. He had his left paw on the spot where Judy kissed him and still kept it there. Nick then opened the door to his house and went inside. He walks over to the kitchen and see that his mom is washing dishes.

"Oh, Nick. You're home early." Francine said.

"Where's pop?" Nick said still in his stunned faze.

"Umm... he's downstairs in his workshop." Francine said. "Why do you..."

"Need to talk to pop." Nick said as he walked away.

Francine was a bit confused on why Nick needed to see his father so badly. Nick went downstairs to John's workshop and sees that his dad was working on one of his suits on the table.

"Pop, can I talk to you about something?" Nick asked his dad.

"Can it wait, son? I'm busy finishing up this suit for a client tomorrow." John said as he was sewing.

"How do you know when you 'like' a girl?" Nick asked.

John completely froze when Nick said that.

"Pop?" Nick called out to his dad.

John then puts down his sewing needle and turn his chair around to Nick.

"This is more important than any suit." John said sounding a bit serious.

 **Wow. Just... wow. So... it looks like Nick and Judy not only got back at the Junior Ranger Scouts, but some... other things have come to the surface. What's gonna happen now? Guess you will all have to find out in the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 9-2: Father and Son Talk

**This isn't really Chapter 10. This is more of Chapter 9.5. Everyone remembers the end of the last chapter, right? Judy kisses Nick on the cheek and now Nick goes to his dad to ask him how do you know when you 'like' a girl. So now daddy's gonna give his son "The talk". Originally, I was gonna make this part of the next Chapter, but I felt that chapter was gonna be pretty long. So I thought it would be best to do this part first. To be honest, I like to write a moment of Nick with his dad, John. But more on that another day. Let's get this mini-chapter started.**

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How do you know when you 'like' a girl? Those were the words that Nick said to his dad, John. So now it seems that John had to give his son a little about it. John stopped working on his suit to talk to Nick. Nick took off his scout's cap and sat on his dad's lap.

"Now Nick, can you tell me what you just said again?" John asked.

"How do you know when you _'like'_ a girl, pop?" Nick asked him again.

"So you really did say that and I didn't mishear you." John said. "Wow. Umm... how about you tell me the feeling that you had."

"Well... it's kinda hard to describe." Nick said to his dad. "If I could, it's like a... stomachache, but it doesn't really hurt. It's sort of a... warm and bubbly feeling."

"Warm and bubbly. So you really do have those feelings." John said.

"So it's... normal?" Nick asked looking a bit confused.

"Slick, I think it's time I gave you _the talk_." John said. "See... as you get older, your body starts to go through changes. Both physically and mentally. One of those changes is how you start to feel about girls. Remember how you thought they were icky? Well, now you are starting to think differently now. That's the warm and bubbly feeling you are getting."

"So... this is all because I'm... growing up?" Nick asked looking concern.

"Uh huh." John answered.

"How do I... get rid of this feeling?" Nick asked.

"You don't." John told him.

"WHAT?!" Nick shouted out.

"No matter what you do, you will always get that feeling. Whether it's with one girl or many girls, the feeling stays with you." John stated to his boy.

"Seriously? There isn't any way to get rid of the feeling." Nick asked.

"There is one way." John said.

"What is it?" Nick asked.

"Stop! Just stop growing up and stay this young forever." John said looking a bit serious.

"Uhhhh... I don't think that's possible, pop." Nick said.

"I know. Trust me, I know that too well." John said looking a bit disappointed. "If I could, I would stay the young pup I was back in the day. And if your mom had it her way, you would still be a baby in diapers."

"I'm REALLY glad that's not the case." Nick said.

"You and me both, champ. I remember all the times I had to change you." John said looking a bit frightened.

"Too much, dad." Nick said not wanting to hear that.

"Sorry." John said.

"So... what should I do about my feelings? I don't know if I want to tell the girl that I "like" her right off the back." Nick said as he fiddled with his paws a bit.

"My boy, you are still young." John told him. "You are just understanding these feelings. But I can't tell you to want you should do about them. It's ultimately your choice on what you should do with them."

"So I have to decide?" Nick asked.

"Yep! That's just how the world and growing up works." John said as he petted Nick's head. "But don't worry. You don't have to rush things. When the time is right, you can choose what you should do with your feelings."

"Okay." Nick said putting his head down a bit. Nick was still confused with what his feelings for Judy were, but at least his dad helped him understand a bit of them.

"Now Nick, how was your Junior Ranger Scouts meeting tonight?" John asked curious about what Nick did tonight.

Nick decided that he should tell John the truth this time.

"Dad, about that... while I do still like the Junior Ranger Scouts and always will, the pack I was with... wasn't the best pack or a pack I was too happy to join." Nick said honestly. "Turns out the pack was full of jerks and they weren't too fond of predators, let alone a fox, joining them. After Judy and I _talked_ some sense into them, I decided to leave the pack."

"Oh. Well... I'm sorry to hear that, son." John said a little sad for Nick. He then hugged his son to comfort him.

"It's fine." Nick said. "In fact, I decided to make my own pack, but it's gonna be different from theirs. In my pack, anyone can join no matter what they are. Prey or Predator."

"That... sounds fantastic. And quite ambitious." John said happily. "I'm proud of you for being so strong-willed."

"Thanks, Pop." Nick said with a smile.

John then hugged Nick a bit tighter.

"I know it must be hard for you. For us. Being born foxes." John said sincerely. "You know, how everyone talks about us and that we're sneaky and can't be trusted. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you."

"To be honest, I was about to give up on everything." Nick admitted. "But Judy helped me realized that I can't just give up. For a little bunny, she's really amazing. So I decided that I'm gonna try SUPER hard for now on. So one day, mammals will never see a fox as bad or untrustworthy ever again."

"Nick, are you trying to make me prouder and prouder with every word you are saying?" John said with a smirk.

"Is it working?" Nick said with a smile as well.

"Yes, it is." John said as he stops hugging him and petting his head more. "So, do you feel better now?"

"A lot better. Thanks!" Nick said with a big smile.

"Good. Heck, I feel a lot better after talking to you too." John said smiling.

"Hey pop, do you still have that bubbly feeling when you're with mom?" Nick asked.

"Of course. Everyday. Why did you think I married her and had you?" John said to his son while ruffling his head a bit.

"Haha!" Nick laughed.

It seems that even with the Wildes being foxes, they are strong enough to handle insults and continue to move forward. But it also seems like John had one more thing to ask Nick.

"By the way, Nick, this girl you like... is she someone I know?" John asked with a sly smile.

When John asked that, Nick had a very shocked look on his face. He also started to blush a bit. If it wasn't for his fur, it would be noticeable.

"NO! NO ONE! NO ONE YOU KNOW!" Nick shouted out frantically. He then got off his dad's lap. "Well... it's getting really late. I think I'll just head up to my room, change, and good to bed."

"It's only 8:30 and it's the weekend." John stated.

"Then... I guess I'll just watch some book or read a tv. I MEAN... watch some TV or read a book. Or maybe just turn in early anyway." Nick said frantically as he goes to the stairs. "Night pop! Love ya! Bye!"

As Nick quickly ran up the stairs, John just watched and shook his head while smiling widely.

"Haha! My boy's growing up so fast." John said to himself.

John then turned back to his table and continue working on his suit.

 **That's all for this mini-chapter. I hope you guys liked it enough to be good until the next chapter. See ya until then.**


	11. Chapter 10: The Zoo-Burrow Scouts Part 1

**Hi Ho! Time for Chapter 10. Wow. Ten whole chapters of this story so far. Got to say, I am REALLY happy that everyone loves this story so much. This story isn't even half over yet. It just there is so much more ideas I have for this story that I don't see me ending it just yet. Now for this chapter, Nick and Judy form a new pack with a few other kits. This also includes a character that I liked in the movie who I felt needed more screen time. More on that later. Now, shall we get this chapter started? Also, thank you so much for over 100 faves, 150 follows, and 100 comments.**

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It's been a week since Nick and Judy confronted the Junior Ranger Scouts and scared some sense into them. After refusing their offer to actually join them for real, Nick decided to form his own pack with some help from Judy. Nick spent the whole week going to school and walking around the city to talk to some kids his age to join. To Nick's luck, he was actually able to get quite a few kits to join his pack. Nick was now feeling better than he ever did before.

It was the middle of a Saturday morning. Nick, Judy and 8 other kits, all in uniforms, were sitting down and chatting a bit on some chairs that were set up in the basement of Nick's house. Nick got permission from his dad to use the basement for their meeting. Nick made a giant banner on the wall that had a little logo with the first half of it being orange and the shape of a fox's head, while the second of it was grey and the shape of a bunny. Nick was in front of everyone getting ready to speak. Judy was beside him (wearing her Police costume) and ready for Nick to speak to everyone.

"Attention! Attention everyone!" Nick shouted out. Everyone stopped chating and paid attention to what Nick wanted to say. "Thank you. Welcome everyone to the first ever meeting of Pack 1 of the Zoo-Burrow Scouts."

Everyone started to clap. Seems like everyone was really excited about this.

"The name, Zoo-Burrow comes from the fact that some of us are from Zootopia and a few of us are from Bunnyburrow and Pack 1 because we're the first pack." Nick stated.

"Also because we're #1." Judy said proudly. Everyone else started chuckling a bit.

"In case you guys didn't know, my name is Nicholas P. Wilde. But call me Nick." Nick said introducing himself with a smile. "I will be the leader of this pack, but I don't want you to think too much about it. I'm a firm and fair fox, but we're all friends here." Nick then looked at Judy and decided to introduce her. "Right beside me is my best friend, who is also our co-leader from Bunnyburrow, and apparently... chief of security, Judy Hopps."

Everyone clapped for Judy.

"Thank you. Glad to be here." Judy said happily as she tipped her hat.

"We also have a few other mammals here from Bunnyburrow that need to be mention. They're both Judy's brothers. Give it up for, the twins, Cole and Conner." Nick said.

Everyone clapped again as Cole and Conner just waved their paws a bit. Cole and Conner wanted to join the Junior Scouts in Bunnyburrow, but couldn't cause it was overpacked. Nick asked Judy to tell them if they wanted to join their pack. Since they both liked Nick, they both said yes and got uniforms.

"This is gonna be awesome ." Cole and Conner said together.

"Also from Bunnyburrow is a good friend to both me and Judy. It's his first time in the city, so he's really shy. But let's all give him a warm welcome. Give it up for... Gideon Grey."

Everyone now clapped for a very nervous smiling Gideon. As Nick said, this is Gideon's first time in Zootopia. While at Bunnyburrow, Judy went over to talk to Gideon about joining their pack to help him make friends with others. Gideon was a bit scared at first, but Judy was able to convince him and Gid got his parents to buy him a ticket. Since Gideon gave up on bullying, Nick and Judy decided that this would be a perfect way to develop a friendship with him.

"Okay. Now that we have introduced our Bunnyburrow members, let's get to..." Nick said.

"WAAAAAITTTT!" A voice from the stairs shouted out. Everyone looks up at the stairs and see a cheetah kid from the top of the stairs panting very heavily. The cheetah was a bit on the chubby side and wearing a scout uniform like everyone else. The cheetah then started walking down the stairs and to Nick and Judy."The nice... fox lady... let me come down here. I hope... I didn't... miss too much." The cheetah said still panting a bit.

"Not at all. We actually just got started." Nick said. Then Nick started looking more closely at the cheetah. "Hang on. I know you. You're that kid who always gets all the good doughnuts at Sweeti's Bakery."

"Yeah. That's me. We also go to the same school. But I'm a grade higher than you." The cheetah said. "Oh. I should introduce myself. My name is Benjamin. Benjamin Clawhauser."

Yep! This cub was none other than happy doughnut lover, Benjamin Clawhauser. Nick has seen him a few times before. But this was the first time that they actually get introduced to each other. Nick and Judy take one look at him and can tell that he was gonna to be one of the nicest people that they could ever meet. **(Since they are all kits in this story, Nick and Judy will call Clawhauser by his first name and not by his last name. Cause most kids call someone by their first name and not their last.)**

"Nice to meet you, Benjamin." Judy said greeting him.

"How about we just call you Ben or Benji for short?" Nick asked.

"Sure. I don't mind. I like to be called those anyway." Benjamin said with a smile.

"My name is Nick. I'm the leader of our little troop." Nick said shaking Benji's paw.

"And I'm Judy." Judy said to Benji.

Benji then looks at Judy a bit.

"I got to say, you're a cute little bunny." Benji said with a smile.

Oh boy. Benji did the one thing a mammal is not suppose to do. Call a bunny cute. Yet, Judy didn't seem too mad at him.

"Umm... I know you didn't mean to. But you are not supposed to call a bunny cute because it's kinda..." Judy said. Benji got what she was trying to say.

"Oh! I'm so sorry." Benji pleaded. "Here I am calling you the typical thing bunnies are called while I'm just this flabby and slow kid who people think should be slim and fast."

"It's fine. I'll let it slide." Judy said.

"How can you not be mad at him because he calls you cute, but you got mad at me when I called you cute?" Nick asked.

"Because you're you." Judy said at Nick with a straight face.

"I'll just take that as a compliment." Nick said with a sly smile. Nick then looks at Benji. "So Benji, why do you want to join our pack?" Nick asked Benji.

"I heard about the pack from some of the kids at school. It sounded exciting and fun." Benji said. Benji then started to have a sad expression on his face. "Also, I tried joining the Junior Ranger Scouts, but they rejected me."

"WHAT?!" Nick and Judy shouted out.

"They rejected you too?" Nick asked Benji. Benji simply nodded.

"Can you excuse us for a minute?" Judy said to Benji as she pulled Nick a bit away from him to talk to Nick alone. "Seriously? Those jerks rejected HIM too?" Judy whispered. "He looks as innocent as a newborn kitten."

"Which goes to show you that those scouts were nothing but jerks. HUGE jerks." Nick whispered sounding very angry.

"We are gonna let him join, are we?" Judy asked.

"Of course we are. We're not Pack 914." Nick said to Judy. "We let anyone join not matter what they are."

Nick and Judy nodded and walked back over to Benji.

"Benji, even if you do hog the doughnuts at Sweeti's Bakery..." Nick stated. Judy then bumped her elbow into Nick's chest. "Oww!" Nick said as he rubbed his chest where Judy hit him. "... we'll be more than happy to have you join our pack."

"Ohhhhhhh! Thank you sooooo much." Benji said happily.

"Now, how about you sit next to where Gideon is while we finish opening up?" Nick said pointing at where Gideon was.

"Okie dokie!" Benji said.

Benji then ran and toke the chair next to Gideon. The two said hi to each other looked back at Nick, who was ready to continue speaking.

"Now, let's get back to more introductions. All of us are here have our own reasons for joining." Nick said to everyone. Nick looks at a kid who was a hyena with a large black mane. "Mervin, your reasons are because the Junior Ranger scouts rejected you and people always thought you see everything as a joke because you're a hyena."

"No one ever takes me seriously. I only laugh when things are funny." Mervin stated. "BTW, heard what you did to those other scouts. HA...HAHAHAHAH!" Mervin laughed pretty heartily. "Good one! You fooled them BIG time."

"Thank you. Also, you laugh well." Nick said happily. Nick then looked at a brown bear. "Ronald, you tried to join the Junior Ranger Scouts, but they denied you the same way they did to me." Nick then looks at a moose boy next to him. "Audran, the scout let you in, but because you are best friends with Ronald, you felt that it wasn't fair that he didn't get in."

"That's right." Audran said. "Prey or Predator, Ron here is still my pal. It wouldn't be the same without my best bud, eh?"

"Exactly. Thanks for sticking with me." Ronald said.

"Good to hear you think that way." Nick said. He then looked at a white female tiger. "Now Falisha, your reason for joining was because you didn't find any scouts here in that city that sounded just as cool as this."

"The Bunny Scouts aren't that exciting and Junior Rangers are filled with jerky boys. This was clearly the best choice." Falisha said. "Just don't make me feel bored, okay?"

"We'll try to do our best." Nick said with a smile. Nick then looked at a sloth. "And our last member, he's actually a good friend of mine. I met him at school recently and the two of us became fast friends. Everybody, give it up for my main man, Flash. Who I like to call... Flash, Flash, 100-yard dash."

Everyone looked at the young sloth in the room as he slowly began to speak.

"Hello... every... one. Thank... you... for... letting... me ... join." Flash said slowly. "I... am..."

While Flash was still going on, Judy looked like she was started to lose her patience. Nick noticed.

"Hang in there." Nick said to Judy with a smirk.

"... happy... to... be... here." Flash said.

"Woah! Slow down, Flash. We all can't speak as fast as you." Nick said joking around a bit.

"Nick, I will never get your sense of humor." Judy said with a straight face. Judy then went over to Nick to whisper something in his ear. "Why did you asked a sloth to join?"

"I met Flash a few days ago at school." Nick whispered to Judy. "He was eating lunch by himself, so I joined him so he wouldn't be lonely. We talked for a bit and the two of us hit it off. He's my bud. Come on, Carrots. He's a good guy and our number one rule is that we'll let anyone join."

"Yeah. Even if he's a sloth, I guess you're right." Judy whispered. "But what was with that nickname you gave him?"

"Let's just say that Flash will surprise you." Nick whispered.

Nick then went back for speaking to the whole pack.

"Okay, including Benji who just arrived, that seems to be all of us." Nick stated as he started to pace. "Now I guess I should say the main reason why I formed this pack. For any of you that didn't know, recently I tried to join the Junior Ranger Scout Pack 914. They didn't let me join... because I was a fox. They even put a muzzle on me."

"BOOOOOOOOO!" Everyone else shouted out in anger.

"Then Judy and I went over to them and scared the pants out of each and every one of them. So I don't think they will be pulling that stunt again." Nick said with a confident smirk as he stops pacing.

"Yeeeeeeeaaahhhh!" Everyone else shouted out cheerfully.

"Even when they were 'willing' to let me join for real, I was the one to reject them this time. After figuring out that they did the same thing to some other predators like me, it didn't seem right to join." Nick said. "So... that's when I decided to form this pack. The Zoo-Burrow Scouts. And unlike those Junior Rangers, our pack with allow anyone, boy or girl, prey or predator to join. Our motto is 'We always see the good in others. Not for what they are, but who they are."

"We always see the good in others. Not for what they are, but who they are." Everyone else said.

"...for... what... they... are, ... but... who... they... are." Flash said after everyone else already said. Everyone stared awkwardly at Flash. Seems that they would all prefer if he was a bit faster.

"Soooooo... Nick, what're our first actions as scouts?" Mervin asked.

"First actions? Oh right." Nick said. "Let me just say a few things to my co-leader here real quick and will get back to all of you."

Nick then took Judy and walked a bit away from everyone else to talk to her quietly in private.

"Yeeeeeeaaahhhh... I don't know what we should do next." Nick whispered to Judy looking a bit nervous.

"What?!" Judy shouted out quietly. "What do you mean you don't know what we should do next?"

"Honestly, I thought that this pack was gonna be just you, me, and a few of your siblings. But THIS... it turned out better than I ever thought it would." Nick said quietly to Judy. "We have more members than the Junior Rangers ever did. I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"Well, you better start trying, Nick. Remember, this pack was **your** idea and **you're** the leader." Judy said to Nick. "Don't worry. As co-leader, I know you can do it."

"I still don't know what we all should do." Nick said crossing his arms and trying to think of something.

At that moment, coming down the stairs were Francine and Bonnie holding trays with cookies and a pitcher of red fruit punch and cups.

"Hello, children!" Francine said cheerfully.

"Mom, Mrs. Hopps, We're kinda in the middle of a meeting." Nick told them.

"We know. It's just that me and Bonnie here..." Francine said.

"... thought that you kids could use some refreshments." Bonnie said. "Fruit punch for everyone and some chocolate chip cookies."

"Bonnie and I used bits from both our recipes and came out with these." Francine said holding the cookies.

"Oooooooohhhh! Cookies!" Benji said excitedly.

"I wouldn't mind a few cookies myself." Gideon said excitedly too.

All the other scouts then gather around to get some cookies and punch.

"Now now. One at a time." Francine said to them.

"We'll hold the trays for you." Judy said.

"Alright then. Careful now." Bonnie said as she gives Judy the tray with the drinks. Francine then gives Nick the tray of cookies to hold.

"Got it. Thanks, mom." Nick and Judy said to their mothers.

"It's no trouble." Bonnie said to them with a smile.

"Alright then. We'll let you kids get back to your meeting." Francine said.

Francine and Bonnie then went up the stairs leaving the children to get back to the meeting. Nick and Judy place the trays on the table and everyone helped themselves to the cookies and punch.

"Mmmmm. These cookies are soooooo good." Benji said with a mouth full of cookies.

"Hmm... mom said that her and Mrs. Hopps combined their recipes. I can tell these are different than mom's regular chocolate chip cookies." Nick stated while eating one of the cookies.

"The same could be said for us." Judy stated.

"We had a few hundred of mom's chocolate chip cookies before." Conner said.

"But these are definitely different." Cole said.

"They're better." Nick, Judy, Conner, and Cole all said happily before taking another bite of their cookies.

"You know Nick, I got to tell you. Your parents are pretty cool." Mervin said. "Your mom is super nice and your dad is pretty awesome."

"I already knew that." Nick said with a confident smile.

"I mean, even though they are foxes, they're nicer than most parents." Mervin said.

"Yeah. It's a shame too." Falisha said after taking a sip of her punch. "Your father is such an excellent tailor. If only people could see him other than a fox, he could probably get more business."

"Yeah. I know." Nick said starting to feel a little sad. But then, his face started to brighten up. He had an idea. "That's it! I know what we are going to do today."

"You didn't know what we should do before?" Falisha asked Nick while raising an eyebrow.

"I do now and that is what matters." Nick stated. "Just give me like three minutes... and a few more of these cookies."

A few minutes later, after all the cookies were eaten, Nick drew out his plan for today on paper and on an easel. Nick was holding a wooden stick as he explained his plan.

"Okay, guys! Here's the deal, guys." Nick said to everyone. He then uses his wooden stick to point at a doodle of three foxes behind the shop, which we can assume that they are Nick and his parents. "As you guys know, my family owns our little shop, Wilde and Son. However, even if pop's a great tailor, people think that he's untrustworthy because he's a fox." Nick then points at a dollar sign. "It's because of this, the store hasn't been making much money. So my family is going broke." Nick said as he pointed at a doodle of his mom and dad looking sad. "So what we are going to do is help increase the profit of my dad's business." Nick said as he pointed at doodles of everyone. "You know, talking to people, making posters, sign spinning. That kind of stuff. If we can get more customers then dad can make money..." Nick said while pointing at 3 dollar signs. "And that would make pop..." Nick then pointed to a final doodle of his dad smiling. "... one happy fox."

Nick then looked at everyone.

"Now that I explained everything, we need to be in separate groups so we can cover more parts of the city." Nick said to everyone. "Audran, Ronnie, Connor, and Cole, you guys make some posters go around Downtown posting them and giving them to people."

"Will do." Cole and Conner said while saluting.

"Audran and Ronnie, be sure to keep an eye on these two. They are still tenderfoots when it comes to the city." Nick said.

"Will do." Audran and Ronnie said while saluting.

"HEEEY!" Cole and Conner shouted not too happy and taking what Nick said as an insult.

"Falisha, Mervin, and Flash, you guys will take Savanna Central. It is the business part of the city. A bunch of mammals in suits, means they need someone who can tailor them." Nick said.

"I have an uncle who makes business cards. Maybe he can make some for your dad." Mervin said to Nick.

"Great! That'll work. You go do that." Nick said.

"O... kay! We're... get... to... it... as... fast... as... we... can." Flash said slowly.

"Please let us switch with someone else." Mervin and Falisha pleaded with Nick.

"Come on. Flash wants to help." Nick said to them. "Tell you what. You guys can carry Flash in my little red wagon over there." Nick then pointed at his red wagon on the corner. "That should keep him from slowing you down, right?"

"Well... alright." Mervin said.

"Just as long as Flash doesn't actually slow us down. I guess it's okay." Falisha stated.

"I... won't... let... you... down." Flash said.

"That leaves Judy, Gid, Benji, and I. The four of us are gonna come up with a way to make some cash and give it to pop." Nick said.

"Alright then." Judy said smiling

"Sounds good." Gideon said smiling.

"I'm soooooo excited to be a part of this." Benji said happily.

"When we are all done, we all meet up at Sweeti's Bakery." Nick said.

"Right." Everyone else said.

"Alright everyone, bring it in." Nick said to everyone. All the kits gather around in a circle. "Right arms out, everyone." Everyone put their right arm outs in the center of the circle. "Now remember, guys and gals, we're not doing this us. We're doing this for my dad and his shop."

Everyone nodded.

"All together now. Zoo-Burrow Scouts." Nick shouted out.

"Zoo-Burrow Scouts!" Everyone shouted as they raised their paws up.

So the kits all began their mission to help increase the business of John's shop. Cole, Conner, Audran, and Ronnie left to make posters and post them around Downtown. Mervin, Falisha, and Flash in a red wagon, with off to Savanna Central. Ask for Nick, Judy, Gideon, and Benji, the four were still in the basement sitting in chairs. The four of them couldn't figure out what to do.

"We could... sell lemonade." Judy suggested.

"Carrots, that's been done to death." Nick said. "Let's think of something else."

"We could do a bake sale." Gideon suggested. "With my baking skills, it will be easy."

"Oooooh! I like that idea." Benji said.

"Well... that's good and all, but I don't think we have enough ingredients in my house to actually make anything... besides those cookies mom and Mrs. Hopps made." Nick said.

"Are they anymore left?" Benji asked.

"Don't think so. We all pretty much clean the plate." Nick stated.

"Awwww." Benji said looking disappointed.

"Guys, we need to focus." Judy said.

"Right. It's just soooo hard to think of something to help make money for my dad." Nick said. "Maybe it's just the stress of me being a leader. I've never really done this before."

"Come on, City Boy. You're doing a great job." Gideon said.

"Yeah. We just need to go out a do something for a bit." Benji said. "Maybe we can come up with something later."

"That sounds like a good idea. What do you think, Nick?" Judy asked.

"Hmmmmm..." Nick went as he pondered. He then looked at the pitcher of red fruit punch. There was still some left. "Well, I do have one place in mind." Nick said as he got off of his chair. "Just give me a few minutes."

Nick went up the stairs and to his room to get a blue and green checker patterned thermos. He then went back down to the basement with the others. He then tokes the pitcher and pours the punch into the thermos. He then closes the thermos. Everyone was a little confused.

"Okay. Now I just need to make a quick call." Nick said.

"Quick call?" Judy, Gideon, and Benji said looking confused.

Nick then went back upstairs to use the house phone. Judy and the others followed him. Nick pushed a few numbers on the phone and was now waiting for the receiver to pick up.

"Hello? Hey dude. Glad you picked up." Nick said to the person on the phone. The receiver was saying a few things. "Listen, I have some punch. Think we can do the thing at the place?"

"Do the thing?" Judy said curiously.

"At the place?" Gideon and Benji said curiously too.

"Uh huh. Uh huh. Great! Be sure to bring the sticks. See ya there." Nick said before hanging up. He then turned to everyone else. "Alright, guys. Let's go."

"Where to? And who was that you were talking to?" Judy asked.

"Just a friend of mine. You're all meet him later." Nick stated. "But for now, let's head to the bus stop."

So Nick and his gang went to the bus stop and got on the bus. After a couple of minutes of riding the bus, the others were still curious about where they were going, since Nick hasn't even told them yet.

"Seriously Slick, can you at least tell us where we are going?" Judy said.

"Take a look outside the window." Nick said to them.

Judy, Gideon, and Benji looked outside of the window and noticed that the bus was heading to an area of the city that was filled with snow.

"Snow?" Judy said as she looked at the snow.

"I know where we are. We're in Tundratown." Benji said.

"Correct, Benji." Nick said. "It's also our stop."

Nick pulls the cord and the bus slowly begins to stop. The four kits then all get off of the bus. As the bus left, they all looked around Tundratown. They all notice that there weren't that many people around, but they did notice that the whole area was covered in snow, from top to bottom.

"Welcome to Tundratown, guys." Nick said to them.

"Brrrrr! It's so cold." Judy said shaking a bit. "Maybe we should have put on some warmer clothing."

"Tundratown WAS made for the city residents that like living in cold climates. Like polar bears and arctic foxes. Guess a bunny from the burrows isn't really use to freezing air and snow." Nick stated.

"It snows in Bunnyburrow. Just two or three times... in a rare year." Judy stated.

"Well for Tundratown, it snows 24/7." Nick said. "Sometimes my parents would take me here and we play in the snow. We built snow forts, snow foxes, and have snowball fights."

"Sounds like real..." Benji said before being halted by Nick.

"Just a sec, Ben." Nick said to him. He then gave Benji his cap to hold on to.

Nick then started sniffing around the area a bit. Then he got on all fours and sniffed some more. He then leaped up into the air and landed head first into the snow. It seemed like he was digging through the snow. Judy was confused and weird out about this.

"What's Nick doing?" Judy asked Benji.

"He IS a fox. Foxes are known to burrow into the snow and search for things at times." Benji stated. "Maybe he smelled something he found interesting."

"Guess even after evolving, some of us mammals still have our old habits in our DNA." Judy said. "I'm surprised that you're not doing the same thing, Gide..." Judy said while turning around to Gideon and realizing that he was also burrowing into the snow, much like Nick. "Nevermind."

Nick then popped out of the snow.

"Woo! Guys! I just found this cool looking decoder ring." Nick said holding the ring excitedly. He then puts in on and walks back to the others. "I feeling sorry for the guy who lost this."

"I'm pretty sure people don't even use decoder rings anymore." Benji said.

"They're still cool." Nick said while taking his cap from Benji and putting it back on. "It's even in good condition." Nick then notices that Gideon is still burrowing. "Did you find anything good, Gid?"

Gideon then popped out of the snow.

"WOOWEE!" Gideon happily shouted out holding a shiny coin. "I just found this silver dollar. This is just the one I was looking for in my coin collection."

"You collect coins?" Nick asked Gideon.

"We all collect something, right? Some girls collect dolls. Some boys collect baseball cards or action figures. I collect coins." Gideon stated proudly.

"Fair enough." Nick said shrugging.

"So Nick, do you mind finally telling us why we're here and who we are supposed to meet?" Judy asked.

"Follow me and I'll show you." Nick said.

Nick led his friends to an empty lot covered in snow. The four were still waiting for Nick's friend to show up.

"Is your friend even gonna show up?" Gideon asked.

"He'll be here. Just give him a minute." Nick said.

"So City Boy, who is this guy?" Gideon asked.

"He's a friend I met the day after the whole... 'Junior Ranger Scouts' thing." Nick stated. "I talked to him a bit and he helped me feel better. He's also kinda a fox like me."

"Kinda a fox?" Judy said tilting her head.

"He's a different kind of fox. A desert fox to be exact. A fennec." Nick stated. "Recently, I asked him to join our pack, but he turned me down. I think he likes to be a loner."

"Hmm. You don't say." Gideon said.

"Oh. There's also one _tiny_ thing about him." Nick said.

"What's that?" Judy asked.

At that moment, they all hear a voice from afar.

"HEY! NICK!" The voice shouted.

"Oh! That's him." Nick said.

Everyone turned around to look at the person calling Nick. They see a kid around their age. He was like Nick described him. A fennec fox with sand-colored fur, large ears, and light brown eyes. He was wearing a black shirt and white shorts. He was also wearing headphones around his neck. He was also... really short. Compared to everyone else. It looked like he was even a shorter than Judy if it wasn't for the ears. This kid was none other than Finnick.

"So, these must be some of the kids you got to join your pack, huh?" Finnick asked Nick. Finnick looks at each of Nick's friends. "Another fox, a chubby cheetah, and a bunny. Quite the bunch."

"Everyone, this is Finnick. My buddy." Nick said introducing them to the others. "Finnick, this is Judy, Gideon, and Benjamin."

"Yo!" Finnick said to them.

Judy, Gideon, and Benji felt a little surprised. When Nick said tiny, they didn't think he actually meant _tiny_.

"Uhhh..." Judy went not knowing what to say.

"What?" Finnick asked looking concern.

"Oh! Nothing. Nick said you were a... desert fox? I didn't know that foxes can be so... small." Judy stated.

"Pssh! You're not exactly a giraffe either, bunny girl." Finnick said not liking being called small by the bunny. "Us fennec foxes are all like this."

"Sorry. I haven't really met other foxes besides Nick and Gideon here." Judy admitted.

"Hmm. You're that bunny girl that Nick talked about, right? He said you were from Bunnyburrow." Finnick said. "No surprise there. But I heard that most of the bunny folk there have overly huge families and are usually scared of foxes. Also that some of them don't even leave their burrows. So the fact that you're here in Zootopia, let alone friends with a fox, is pretty unbelievable."

"Well... I'm living proof that it's believable." Judy said crossing her arms and looking away from Finnick. "I've known Nick and been friends with him for almost 2 months now."

"I guess that's more than I can say for any bunny." Finnick said.

"Now... you said that you are a fennec... and your name is Finnick?" Benji asked.

"Yes. I'm well aware that my folks named me similar to the name of the species I am. That's just how I was named. What are you gonna do?" Finnick said as he shrugged.

"Also, you're name's Fin-nick and Nick's name is Nick." Benji stated. Benji then started realizing that Nick and Finnick had some similarities to their names. "Nick, Finnick. Finnick, Nick."

Then Judy and Gideon started joining in.

"Nick, Finnick. Finnick, Nick. Nick, Finnick. Finnick, Nick." Judy, Benji, and Gideon went.

"OKAY! We get it! We both have 'nick' in our names." Finnick shouted out, wanting them to stop.

"Hahahaha!" Nick laughed.

"Any OTHER jokes you guys are gonna make about me?' Finnick asked making an angry face.

"Sorry. We'll stop." Judy said.

"Thank you." Finnick said calming down.

"So Finnick, you're about the same age we are, right?" Judy asked. "What are you? 8? 9?"

"I'm 11." Finnick answered.

Judy, Benji, and Gideon all jumped in surprised to hear that. Finnick was actually the oldest out of all five of them.

"You're older than all of us?" Judy said still stunned. "But you don't even look it because you're so small."

"Watch it, bunny! Nick may not bite, but **I** do." Finnick said angrily at Judy.

"AH! RUDE!" Judy shouted getting mad at Finnick.

"Okay. Enough." Nick said breaking things up. "There will be no fighting or biting here today. So the two of you need to get along. Okay?"

"Fine." Judy and Finnick said as they stopped arguing.

"Anyway Nick, do you got the juice?" Finnick asked.

"Right here." Nick said shaking his thermos. "Should be just enough for the five of us."

"Great." Finnick said with a slight smile. "Let's get started."

"Right." Nick said nodding. "Guys, check this out."

At the moment, Nick and Finnick started to get to work. Finnick made 5 pawprints down on the snow and placed a popsicle stick in the middle end of 5 of them. Nick then pour juice into the five pawprints. Everyone seemed to still have some confused looks on their faces.

"Now we just wait a few minutes." Nick said to everyone.

After a few minutes of waiting, the juice froze and Nick pulled each of them out by the sticks. This whole process resulted in red popsicles with a pawprint on them.

"Tadah! I give you... PAWPSICLES!" Nick shouted out happily as he held them up in the air.

"Pawpsicles?" Judy, Gideon, and Benji went.

"Yep!" Nick said. He then walked to Judy and the others and gave them each a pawpsicles. "We used the fruit punch, pawprints, some popsicles sticks, and the cold weather here to make these. Finnick and I came up with them. Pretty cool, right?"

Judy, Gideon, and Benji began observing the pawpsicles a bit. It didn't look too bad.

"Go on. Try it." Nick told them.

Judy, Gideon, and Benji shrugged a bit and then took a lick at the pawpsicles. It was pretty good.

"Not bad." Judy said as she tokes some more licks.

"What a nifty little idea." Gideon stated as he takes some more licks of his pawpsicle.

"Surprisingly... it doesn't taste like feet." Benji said.

"Of course it doesn't. I was sure to clean my feet very thorough." Finnick said lifting his left leg and wiggling his toes a bit. "Us foxes are not as dirty as other mammals think we are."

"So I've been told." Judy stated. "So is this the reason why we came here? Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"Ben did say that we should do something besides staying in the house all day trying to think of something." Nick said. "That and I wanted you all to meet Finnick."

"So Finnick, how come you didn't want to join our pack?" Benji asked.

"The whole scout thing sounds great and all, but it's not really my thing." Finnick said shrugged. "I'm more of a loner."

"Come on. Loners can still be a part of a pack." Nick said. Nick then turned to the others. "All things aside, we still need to come up with some way to make pop some cash. But what?" Nick said as he lightly waved his pawpsicle.

At that moment, a female polar bear walked over to the kids.

"What cute little popsicles you have there. Where did you get them?" The polar bear asked.

"Oh, these? We got them from nowhere. We made them ourselves." Nick answered.

"Oh. What a shame. I wouldn't mind buying a popsicle like that for myself." The polar bear said as she walked away.

"Hmmmm..." Nick said thinking about what she just said.

Just then, Nick's eyes widen and the gears inside Nick's head started moving. The same could be said for Judy, Gideon, and Ben.

"Guys, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Nick asked them with a sly smile.

"I believe we are." Judy said to Nick.

"Of course. Why didn't I think of it before? Guys, we should sell these pawpsicles." Nick said. "I bet if we make more of these and sell them, we can make a bunch of cash."

"That sounds like a great idea." Benji stated.

"Yeah." Gideon said.

"So we all agree?" Nick asked them.

"Uh huh." Judy, Gideon, and Benji said happily while nodding.

"Hold on just a minute." Finnick shouted out. "

"What is it, Finn?" Nick asked Finnick.

"Look, I'm cool with the whole 'selling pawpsicles to make some cash' idea. But I don't DO charity work." Finnick said finishing his pawpsicles.

"Come on, Finnick. I know you not technically a part of our pack, but we could really use your help." Nick said. "Besides, this is for my dad. A fellow fox. Can't you open your heart and help two foxes, a cheetah, and a bunny out. Please?"

Nick then started to make a sad and frowny face to try and convince Finnick. Finnick looked at the others and was making similar sad and frowny faces. After seeing all of them, Finnick had no choice but to admit defeat.

"Fine." Finnick said a bit grouchy. "HOWEVER... on one condition. Whatever we make, I get a cut as well."

"Really Finnick? Come on. The money is for pop and his shop." Nick said.

"I know... and I STILL want my own cut. Popsicle sticks don't come cheap, y'know?" Finnick said. "Besides, you need guys need me cause I have the right size feet for the job. While the lot of you have pretty big feet. Even the bunny girl."

Nick, Judy, Benji, and Gideon all looked down at their feet and realized that Finnick actually had a point, Nick, Judy, and Gideon's feet were on the long side, while Benji's were a bit on the big side.

"Guess you have a point." Nick said. "Very well. Depending on how much we make, we would give you a cut of the money. Deal?" Nick then raised his paws, wanting to shake Finnick's paw.

"Deal." Finnick said as he shakes Nick's paw.

"Great. Cause this also means that you're part of our pack now." Nick said with a sly smile.

"Wait? WHAT?!" Finnick shouted out as he stopped shaking his paw and had a shocked look on his face. "I DIDN'T AGREE TO THAT."

"Actually... you did agree to help us. And we are giving you a cut of the money. So the least you can do is be a part of the pack." Nick stated to Finnick while still keeping a sly smile. "That is... if we actually still want your cut the cash."

"Grrrr. Nick, you are one sly fox." Finnick said.

"Thanks! I can't lie and say I'm NOT sly." Nick said with a smirk.

"Alright then. Welcome to our pack, Finnick." Judy said in a cheery way.

"Yeah yeah. Whatever." Finnick said unamused.

"So, what do we do first?" Benji asked.

"First, we need to get some supplies. More juice, more popsicles sticks, a sign, and a cooler to carry all the pawpsicles in." Nick stated. "We should be able to get most of that stuff at my house. Finnick, you will have to get the sticks."

"Will do." Finnick said.

"Once we get everything, we come back here and make a bunch of pawpsicles to sell." Nick said. "I think the best place to sell them would be Downtown. Sounds good?"

"Sounds like a great plan to me." Benji said.

"Me too." Gideon said.

"See Nick? You are a great leader." Judy said with a smile.

"I'm really just going with the flow." Nick said. "Now, let's get going."

"Thank goodness. Cause I'm turning into a bunny popsicle here." Judy stated as she rubs her paws together. "If we have to come back here, can we get some warmer clothes to wear?"

"It's not that bad. I can handle the cold pretty well." Gideon said.

"Yeah. It's cold, but not totally freezing." Benji stated.

"Well for mammals like you two, it's easy for you to handle the cold." Judy said.

Gideon and Ben paused for a moment and looked at each other and then backed at Judy.

"What do you mean by that?" Gideon and Benji said with a look.

"Uhh... well... you know." Judy said nervously as she twittered her paws.

"Know what?" Gideon and Benji said as they crossed their arms.

"Uhhhhhh..." Judy went.

What Judy was referring to was Gideon and Benji's... body structure and the fact that they were bigger than Nick and Judy. In other words, Judy was saying that they could handle the cold because they had more weight on them than Nick, Judy, and Finnick. To prevent an angry fox and cheetah, Nick stopped Judy from saying anything else.

"Carrots, let me just stop right there. Trust me. You're better off not saying anything else." Nick told Judy.

"Right." Judy said putting her head down.

"Okay. We all know what to do. So let's get to it." Nick said as he pumped his fist.

"Right." Everyone else said.

So the kits went off to get the supplies they needed to make the pawpsicles in hopes to help Nick make some money for his dad and his shop.

"Don't worry pop. Somehow, we'll help you with the shop. Promise." Nick thought.

Without a doubt, Nick was filled with determination and was also willing to do anything big or small to help his dad's shop. But he didn't have to do it alone cause he had a few friends by his side to help him.

 **That's the end of this chapter. So Nick, Judy and the others have a plan that involves selling popsicles. Will things go well for them? Can they help make some money for John and his business? Guess we will have to find out next chapter.**


	12. Chapter 11: The Zoo-Burrow Scouts Part 2

**Chapter 11. I bet my readers are all like "Oooooh! New Chapter! Finally!". Again, this was supposed to be all part of the last chapter, but it would have made it really long and I know you guys don't like me to keep you waiting for the next chapter. Sorry about that. I just got Pokemon Moon the day it came out. Also, finally got a PS4 on Black Friday. Currently playing all 4 Uncharted games, Tales of Zestria, and Street Fighter V. Not my fault I spend my free time gaming. For this chapter, Nick and Judy, along with Gideon, Benji, and Finnick, go off to sell pawpsicles in attempts to have Nick's family make some extra cash. I wanted to add Gideon, Clawhauser, and Finnick to the story because I feel that they are very underrated in the movie and could have used more screen time. This chapter will also have some more deep talks with Nick to add some more drama. So, let's get this chapter going.**

* * *

After agreeing to making and selling pawpsicles, Nick, Judy, Gideon, Benji, and Finnick went off to get some supplies. While Finnick went off on his own to get some more pop sticks, the others went back to Nick's house and got the stuff they needed. The kits made about 3 or 4 pitchers of red fruit and stored them all in large jars. Nick got out some paint and made a sign. It said "Pawpsicles $2. Organic." They also got out a big blue cooler to hold all the pops. It seemed like they had everything. So they went off to meet up with Finnick at Tundratown again. Both Nick and Judy's parents were a little curious why they needed all that stuff for. But they just the kids be kids and didn't sweat it.

The group all met up with Finnick again at the lot they all went to before. With all the stuff ready, Finnick and Nick began the process of making pawpsicles. Only this time, they were making a whole bunch. Everyone else just stood by and waited for them to finish. While Finnick was leaving pawprints and sticks and Nick poured the juice into the prints, Finnick couldn't help but think about how did he become friends with Judy.

"Nick, I got to know. How did you end up being friends with a bunny like Judy?" Finnick asked.

"It's actually a long story." Nick told him. "See a few months ago, my family was visiting Bunnyburrow for the first time. It was also our first family trip to a place outside of the city. The town was doing this little fair thing and we saw this talent show. Judy was one of kits in it."

"After the talent show, I saw a few kids getting bullied by Gideon here and I went to stop him." Judy said. "But of course, he also started to bully me too.

"Hold on. You were... bullied by Gideon?" Benji asked looking a bit surprised.

"... And now you're friends with him?" Finnick asked also looking a bit surprised.

"I was... going through some things." Gideon said while scratching the back of his head.

"By that, I assure you are referring to being a fox in a town full of bunnies." Finnick said.

"Did Nick already told you?" Gideon asked.

"No. I can tell that was the case just by looking at you." Finnick answered. "That and I'm a fox too, remember? Small or not, I know what you might be going through."

"Oh. Right." Gideon said.

"So... when I saw Gideon pushed Judy down and about to her hurt, I just had to go over there and stop him." Nick said. "I told him to leave her alone and walk away and he did. I helped Judy up and the two of us had a great talk. But just when we were starting to get to know each other, I had to go back Zootopia. We didn't see each other again for... about a whole month."

"So, how did the two of you met up again?" Benji asked.

"Well mom and pop were actually doing good at the store that week, so they said we could go on another family trip. I chose for us to go to Bunnyburrow again in hopes to run into Judy." Nick said. "But with a population of almost 20,000,000 and growing... it's WASN'T easy."

"Tsh! With that number and a town called **Bunny** -burrow, I believe you." Finnick said.

"You know other mammals besides bunnies live in Bunnyburrow." Judy told Finnick looking a bit mad.

"Oh, I believe you. But I also believe that about 99.9% of that population is still bunnies. Am I right?" Finnick asked with a smirk.

"I cannot specify or confirm that information." Judy said firmly.

"That's a yes." All the boys said at the same time with smug smiles on their faces. Judy responded by puffing out her cheeks in anger.

"Anyway, after a long search I was able to find Judy when I went to her family's fruit and vegetable stand." Nick said. "It was sheer luck that I was able to find her. It was a good thing I remembered her scent."

"After that, I showed Nick around our farm and we talked a bit more. Even though we are totally different, we thought we could be really good friends." Judy said.

"That's really surprising for a fox and a bunny." Benji said.

"Honestly, we didn't think we would get along so well either." Nick admitted. "It's like the two of us just... click."

"So I wanted to show Nick the town lake and... Gideon was there. Being a jerk again." Judy said.

"Like I said, I was going through things." Gideon said.

"So being the jerk Gideon is, ehhh... was, he and I got into a fight. While we tussled with each other, I tried to talk to him, in hopes that I could get through to him. Lucky for me, I was able to. After the three of us talked, we all came to an understanding and we all decided to become friends." Judy said.

"Since then, I stopped being a bully and I'm doing my best to make others think of me better." Gideon said.

"Well, that's good to hear." Benji said.

"After our time with Gideon, Judy and I went back to her house and it turned out that our parents actually hit it off." Nick said. "Since Judy and I became such good friends, they decided to have us see each other every week from now on. We've been friends ever since." Nick said with a smile.

"Aww! What a nice story." Benji said with a smile.

"Still a bit surprising." Finnick said. "I bet Judy's parents would still be afraid of foxes if you didn't become friends with her, Nick. I heard most bunny parents are really alert when it comes to _certain_ mammals."

"Why does it seem that you think you know so much about bunnies?" Judy said with a bit unimpressed. "Buuuuuut... you are actually right about this one. Mom and Dad have always been a bit afraid of the... bigger mammals. Mostly predators."

"I knew it." Finnick said.

"Hey! Give them a break. Both my parents had a bit of a secure childhood. Until recently, the two of them haven't seen much of the world outside of Bunnyburrow. They're starting to go with change now. Even if it's only a little bit." Judy said.

"Well, that's better than being scared their whole lives." Nick said as he finishing pouring the red juice in Finnick's pawprints. "Okay, I think that should be enough."

Nick and Finnick then took a few steps back from the prints as they waited for the pawpsicles to freeze. They walked over to Judy and the others.

"Okay, now we wait for a few minutes." Nick said. "We made about 100 pawspicles. Selling them at $2 and there being 100 of them means if we are able to sell all of them, we can make about 200 big ones."

"*whistles* That's a pretty good amount of cash for one day." Finnick stated. "Say Nick, maybe when this is over, we should make selling the pawpsicles as a regular thing. We could make a killing. Not literally."

"Hmm... well I am hoping to save up for a bike." Nick said rubbing his chin with his right paw. "But now is not the time. We're doing this for pop. So some other time."

After a few minutes, the pawpsicles were ready and they picked them up and placed them on top of the icy snow inside the cooler. After placing all the pawpsicles in the cooler, it seems that everything was ready to go.

"I think we're ready, guys." Nick said with a smile.

"So now we just need to get Downtown to sell them, right?" Judy said.

"Not quite." Nick said. "See, thanks to pop, I know a thing or two about business savvy. If there is one thing I know, we need something or someone to peak everyone's interest."

"Someone?" Judy asked while tilting her head.

"By that, I mean one of us should endorse the pawpsicles. You know, make people want to buy them." Nick said.

"Well, this was your idea. So you should be the one to do it." Judy said.

"Actually... I was thinking you should be the one to do it, Carrots." Nick said to Judy.

"Me? Why me?" Judy asked.

"Well between you and Finnick, you're the cutest of all of us here. The people in this city eat cuteness up." Nick stated. "Plus you in your little officer costume, it will definitely bring a crowd of people to buy our pawpsicles."

Oh geez! Nick did it again. He called Judy the one word he was not supposed to call a bunny. Cute. So like before, Judy started to get mad at Nick.

"Nick, I already told you. You can't call a bunny..." Judy said.

"Cute? Yeah yeah! I know." Nick said whipping his paw up and down.

"If you know, then you shouldn't be calling me that." Judy told Nick.

"I don't get why you get in such a fit when someone calls you cute." Nick said while shrugging.

"I just do. So I would appreciate if you would stop calling me cute." Judy said still looking mad.

"Fine. I'll just call you another word. Adorable." Nick said with a sly smirk.

Judy started to look a bit madder at Nick. She even puffed out her cheeks again. Benji noticed how mad Judy was looking.

"Uhh... Nick, I think you should stop." Benji said looking worried.

Nick didn't listen to Benji.

"You are so 'adorable'. The most 'adorable' rabbit I know. With those 'adorable' ears and your 'adorable' face, I know we can get a lot of customers." Nick said with a sly smile.

"Grrrrrr..." Judy said angrily. "Nick, sometimes you're just so... UGH!"

Judy then walked away from everyone and stopped at when she was about 20 feet from everyone. She then crossed her arms and had a pouty look on her face. It seems like she was really mad at Nick.

"Nick, I don't think you should have done that." Benji said to Nick. "Now Judy's really mad."

"Trust me. No, she's not." Nick said still smirking slyly.

"Oh yes I am." Judy shouted out hearing them with her rabbit hearing.

"She sounds pretty mad to me." Finnick stated.

"That's Judy for ya. She can be really stubborn." Gideon said.

"So what do we do now? Bunny girl doesn't seem too happy." Finnick said.

"Relax. Just leave it to me." Nick said with a confident smile. "Trust me. She can't stay mad at me."

Nick then walked over to Judy, behind her back. He then leans his head on top on her. Judy still didn't seem to happy with him.

"Nick, get your head off of my head." Judy told him.

"You know you like this." Nick said with a sly smirk.

"That's beside the point. I'm still mad at you." Judy said.

"Would it help if I said I'm sorry?" Nick asked her.

"Nope. Not this time." Judy said still trying to be bad.

"Come on Carrots." Nick said still with a smile.

"No." Judy said firmly.

"Carrrrrots?" Nick said happily singing a bit.

"No." Judy said firmly again.

"Caaarrrrrroooots?" Nick said happily singing a bit again.

"No." Judy said starting to sound less firm.

"Hmmmmm. Very well then. I guess I have no choice but to play the **big guns**." Nick said to Judy.

At that moment, Nick started to do some singing.

 _Whenever your face has a frown,_

 _I just want to turn it upside-down._

 _I don't mind staying with you for a while,_

 _Just as long as I get to see you smile._

After Nick singing that, Judy couldn't help but start smiling again.

"Nick, do you mind getting off me now?" Judy asked Nick.

Nick did what Judy asked him to and got his head off her's. Judy then around and looked at Nick.

"Why is it so hard to stay mad at you?" Judy asked with a light smile.

"It's the fox charm I was born with." Nick said smirking.

"Guess I should believe you. I'll forgive you for calling me cute and adorable. This time." Judy said smirking.

"Thank you." Nick said happily.

Nick and Judy seem to work things out again. The two then looked back at Benji, Gideon, and Finnick, who all had certain looks on their faces. Benji had a look of adoring and had his paws up to his face with a wide smile. Gideon and Finnick both had sly smirks on their faces.

"OOOHHHHHHHHHHH! You two." Benji said all gitty.

"What?" Nick and Judy said looking confused.

"Oh ho! Now I see why you were talking about bunny girl so much." Finnick said with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked still looking confused.

"You know. You two. You and her. Her and you. Why didn't you told us you two were a couple?" Benji asked.

"WHAT?!" Nick and Judy shouted out as they started to blush.

"Oh.. we're not... the two of us aren't..." Judy said frantically.

"That is... we're not really..." Nick said while scratching the back of his head.

"Hold on. Didn't the last time we met, you told me that Judy was your _girlfriend_?" Gideon asked with a sly smirk that foxes are known for.

"Oh ho ho! He really said that?" Finnick asked looking really curious.

"WITH A SPACE IN THE MIDDLE!" Nick shouted out. "GIRLFRIEND WITH A SPACE IN THE MIDDLE! As in a friend who is a girl."

"Mmm hmm!" Gideon, Benji, and Finnick said smiling slyly.

"And I'm assuming Judy's gonna say that you're her boyfriend with a 'space in the middle'?" Gideon as slyly while doing air quotes.

"Yes! Exactly! As in a friend who is a boy." Judy stated.

"Mmm hmm!" Gideon, Benji, and Finnick said smiling slyly again.

"I don't buy it." Finnick stated.

"Me neither." Gideon said.

"Guys, I'm telling you, it's not like that." Nick said still blushing a bit.

"Whatever you said." Finnick said not believing them. He then walked over to the cooler and started pushing it. "Now if you two are done, we need to get Downtown. So let's get going already."

"Right." Benji said.

As Finnick pushed the cooler, Benji and Gideon followed him.

"You guys think those two are a thing too, don't you?" Finnick asked them.

"Most definitely." Gideon said.

"I'd shipped them." Benji said happily.

At that moment, Nick and Judy were standing with each other. Just the two of them and were still feeling awkward.

"Ha... ha. Can you believe those guys?" Judy asked Nick, still feeling awkward.

"Ye... yeah. Thinking that the two of us were a couple." Nick said while scratching the back of his head.

"But we're not, right? We're just friends." Judy said.

"Yeah. Just friends." Nick said.

Deep down, Nick didn't really want to say that. Sure the two have become really good friends. But recently, Nick was started to have some "different" feelings for Judy. It started to happen when Judy kissed him last week. But he still wasn't really sure what Judy's feelings for him were. Since it was just the two of them now, it was a good time to ask her.

"So... uhh, Judy? Are we just gonna pretend what happen last week didn't happen?" Nick said to her.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked.

"You know. The kiss." Nick said pointing at the spot on his left cheek where Judy kissed him.

"Oh... right. That." Judy said lightly blushing.

"Why did you kiss me? Was it because you... like me that way?" Nick asked.

"Well... you see... I..." Judy didn't really know how to put it into words. "... wanted to make you feel better."

"Huh?" Nick said looking confused.

"Didn't your mom ever kissed you when you were feeling down?" Judy asked.

"Well... yeah." Nick admitted.

"That's why I kissed you. To help you feel better." Judy said. "Did you feel better?"

"I... actually did." Nick said.

"Well, then I guess my kiss did the trick." Judy said with smile. "Now come on. We should join the others."

"Right." Nick said nodding.

Nick was a bit disappointed, but at least he got to know why Judy kissed him. Even if Judy said that was the reason she kissed him, was it really the reason? You already know how Nick felt about the kiss, but how did Judy felt. Let's flashback to that night.

After settling things with the Junior Ranger Scouts and a long walk-n-talk, Judy kissed Nick on the cheek, smiled, tipped her cap, and then ran off. As she ran, she stopped by a building wall and made sure that she was far enough from anyone. She then leaned her back on the wall and started breathing heavily. Her knees started to shake and her heart was beating pretty rapidly. By all these signs, you can tell that Judy was a bit of shocked by her own actions.

"What did I just do?" Judy thought to herself. "WHAT DID I JUST DO?! I KISSED HIM! I KISSED NICK! I KISSED NICK AND HE'S A FOX... and I liked it. Why... why... WHY did I kiss him?" She got off the wall and started rapidly tapping her right foot on the ground. "Is it because I wanted to make him feel better... or was it because... UGH!" Judy said shaking her head. She then tried to remain calm. "Okay. Calm down. It's not as big of a deal as you think it is. I just... won't tell anyone else. It's no big deal. So I kissed a fox. It's not like I'm the first bunny to do that, right? Ha... ha... haaaaa..." Judy then placed her right palm on her faces. "Who am I kidding?"

That ends the flashback. So it seems that Judy wasn't being exactly truthful with what she said to Nick. Whether Judy kissed Nick because she wanted him to feel better or because she liked him, she was still pretty unsure. For now, Judy decided to hold back her feelings and deal with them later. Right now, the kits all had a job to do.

Nick, Judy, Gideon, Benji, and Finnick all made it to Downtown with the pawpsicles they made. They stopped at a corner near one of the parks in Downtown Zootopia that had a bunch of people walking back and forward. It seems like the perfect spot to sell the pawpsicles.

"Alright. This is definitely the best spot for us." Nick said to his friends. He then walked over to Judy. "So Judy, like I said before, I think you should be the one that peaks everyone's interest. So I hope you don't mind."

"It's okay. This is for your dad. I will be more than happy to help." Judy said with a smile.

"Thank you." Nick said smiling back.

Judy then walked to the cooler and picked up one of the pawpsicles and walked back down to the street corner raising the pawpsicles up.

"PAWPSICLES! COME GET YOUR PAWPSICLES HERE!" Judy happily shouted out.

Judy seemed to get the attention of a female pig in a light blue dress.

"Oh! Whatcha got there?" The female pig asked.

"A red fruit punch flavored pawpsicle. My friends and I are selling them." Judy said. "Care to try one? Only $2."

"Sure. I would love to try one." The female pig said happily.

The pig then dug into her purse and takes out 2 Zoo-dollars out and gave them to Judy.

"Thank you, ma'am." Judy said tipping her hat.

"No. Thank you, cute little bunny." The pig said with a smile.

Knowing how Judy get's when someone calls her cute, Nick immediately dashed behind to whisper something to her.

"Just take the compliment and don't think too much about it." Nick whispered to her.

"Alright..." Judy said sucking up her bunny pride.

After buying her pawpsicle, the pig lady went on her way. Judy was still holding on to the two dollars they just made. Everyone else crowded her.

"Alright. Our first minute and we already got our first sale." Nick said happily. "But this is only the first one. Let's keep it going."

"Right!" Everyone else shouted.

So Nick, Judy, and the others continued to sell more pawpsicles at the park. Things were actually going pretty well. The kits got a lot of customers. Big and small, young and old. They were also sure to give each of their customers a big smile and a thank you. Finnick was loving all the cash that they were making. At one point, he was trying to sneak some cash for himself. Nick saw him, took the cash from him, and put it back in a money jar. He then waved his finger and went "Uh-uh!", basically saying "Don't even think about it." Finnick wasn't too happy about that and crossed his arms and looked pretty mad. After about an hour or so...

"Looks like we can't sell any more pops." Finnick said.

"What makes you say that?" Nick asked.

"What I mean is... we can't sell any more pops because we sold out." Finnick said with a smile.

Nick, Judy, Gideon, and Benji all looked at the cooler and realized that the did sell out. There were no Pawpsicles left in the cooler. The kits were actually able to sell each and every one of them.

"So... we actually sold them all?" Benji asked.

"We did." Finnick said nodding.

"Ha... haha. Alright!" Nick said happily as he jumped once in the air. He then went to the money jar and showed everyone that it was overflowed with cash. "We sold 100 pawpsicles. Which means that we made $200 dollars."

"That's pretty good for just one day." Judy said.

"Now we just need to give the cash to your pa, right Nick?" Gideon asked.

"Well, first things first." Nick said to Gideon. He then dug into the money jar and take out a few dollars and gave it to Finnick. "A deal's a deal. Here's you cut, Finn. $40 should be fair."

"You're... you're actually giving me a cut of the money?" Finnick said looking a bit surprised.

"Of course. Fair's fair after all." Nick said with a smile. "You helped us out, so it's only fair that we actually give you a cut. Now take it."

Finnick reached to collect the cash, but then he did something surprising. He gave the cash back to Nick. This really stunned Nick and the others.

"You know what Nick, keep the cash." Finnick said.

"Huh?" Nick said looking surprised.

"Look. I don't do this certain thing often and honestly, I would normally keep the money you gave me for myself." Finnick admitted. "But... you're doing this for your old man. A fox who is a bit down on his luck. I can't be mad at that. So... just take all the money and give it to him."

"You sure?" Nick asked Finnick.

"Just... take it before I change my mind." Finnick said looking a bit queasy.

Laughing a bit, Nick happily tokes the cash back from Finnick and put it back into the money jar.

"Thanks, Finnick. You're a good friend." Nick said with a smile.

"Don't get used to it." Finnick said crossing his arms and turning his head away. "Just know that next time we do this, I WILL want my cut."

"Heehee! He asks all tough, but Finnick's really is a little-big softie." Judy said smiling.

"Hey! Watch it, _Carrots_. I told you before, I bite." Finnick said a bit flushed.

"Still a little-big softie." Judy said smiling slyly.

"Grrrrr..." Finnick growled.

Everyone else laughed a bit. Even Finnick couldn't help but laugh a bit too.

"Okay. Now we just need to meet up with everyone at Sweeti's Bakery." Nick said. "Hopefully, they were able to do well on their assignments."

Everyone one else nodded agreeing with Nick. When they were about to leave, they noticed that a police car was coming their way.

"Huh? A cop car?" Nick said tilting his head.

"Oh man! It's the man! Let's jet." Finnick said worried and started to run, but was halted by Nick.

"Now now. I don't think we need to run. We did nothing wrong." Nick said to Finnick. He then looks at Judy. "Right, Judy?"

"I'm pretty sure we didn't. Now let's just be calm and see what he wants." Judy said.

As the police car stopped and out of the car came a tiger police officer. Surprisingly, it was Officer Tigrelo. The same police officer that Nick and Judy met on Judy's first trip to Zootopia.

"Is that Officer Tigrelo?" Judy asked Nick.

"It is." Nick said.

Tigrelo walked over to the kits.

"Well if it isn't little Nick and Judy. Didn't think I would run into you kits again so soon." Tigrelo said.

"Hey, Officer Tigrelo!" Nick and Judy said happily.

"What are you doing here?" Judy asked.

"Just on patrol, 'Officer' Judy." Tigrelo said. "What are you and your friends up to?"

"We're just finished selling some popsicles to make some money." Nick said.

"Nick, you don't need to tell the cop our business." Finnick whispered to Nick.

"It's fine." Nick said not worrying.

Tigrelo looked at their cooler and noticed the sign and jar of cash.

"Huh. Looks like you kids did really well to make so much." Tigrelo said. "I do hope you kids all have a permit."

"A... permit?" Nick and Judy said looking confused.

"You kids DO have a permit, do you?" Tigrelo asked.

It felt lightning struck all five of the kits. A permit! They never take the time to get a permit. It's the most important thing needed for mammals to have when they are selling products on the streets of Zootopia. Yet they don't have one. Nick, Judy, and the others started to panic a bit.

"Excuse us a moment, officer." Nick said.

Then Nick, Judy, Gideon, Benji, and Finnick all huddled together to discuss their current situations.

"Did you guys KNEW we need a permit?! I didn't know we needed a permit." Nick said frantically.

"I didn't know." Judy said frantically as well.

"Really?! You're the bunny in the cop uniform. You should be the one telling us about this stuff." Finnick stated.

"Hey! This kind of problem didn't happen in Bunnyburrow." Judy stated. "Do you know how many bunny kits had carrot juice stand and didn't get in this kind of trouble."

"This isn't the time for one of your Bunnyburrow stories. We need to do something." Finnick said.

"So none of us have this... 'permit' that we apparently need?" Gideon said looking worried.

"Then what are we gonna do?" Benji said just as worried.

"Let's grab the cash and dash." Finnick suggested.

"We can't do that." Judy said.

"Then what are we suppose to do?" Gideon asked.

"The only thing we can do. Be... honest." Nick said. "It won't be too bad if we just tell the truth, right?"

"You know for a fox, you're more honest than other mammals would be." Finnick stated.

"I'll take it as a compliment." Nick said.

The kits then all got out of there huddle and decided to talk to Officer Tigrelo. They decided to tell him the truth like Nick suggested. They told him they didn't have a permit and that they were selling Pawpsicles to help make money for Nick's dad, John. After explaining everything, the kits all bow their heads and look apologetic.

"We're really sorry." Nick, Judy, Gideon, Benji, and Finnick said.

"Hmm... so the bottom line is... you kids don't have a permit?" Officer Tigrelo asked. The kits all shook their head no. Tigrelo had a bit of a serious look on his face. "Well... this is a bit of a problem. Not only did you sell a product without a permit, but you also ran out of popsicles before I can get one for myself."

Nick and the others look a bit confused that Officer Tigrelo would complain about not getting a pawpsicle.

"Anyway, this isn't good. Not one bit." Tigrelo said.

"Are we in trouble?" Nick asked looking really worried.

"Normal standards is that would have to take you kids in." Tigrelo said.

The gang is started to really look scared. They didn't want to go jail or anything like that.

"But since you are all just kids with a good cause ... I suppose I can let a few things side." Tigrelo said.

All the kits sighed for relief. It seems like Officer Tigrelo was gonna let go with being in major trouble.

"HOWEVER... you kits still sold products without a permit. So it's only fair that you pay the fine." Tigrelo said.

"A fine?!" All the kits shouted out.

"Yes. A fine. If you kits want to be good, you have to deal with the consequences when you do something bad. Understand?" Tigrelo asked.

"Yes sir." The kits all said.

"How much do we have to pay?" Nick asked looking a bit sad.

"Give me a second." Tigrelo said as he gets out a little notepad. "Now let's see." Tigrelo looks at the sign the kids made and the jar of money and uses that to estimate how much they own. "Looking at the amount you made is about $200 and giving the fact that you sold your pawpisicles for $2..."

"How did he guess how much did we make?" Finnick whispered.

"Let's see... you're fine total will be... $200 - $198." Tigrelo said.

"Awwwww. I knew it would be a lot." Gideon said putting his paw on his face.

"Hey! Whoa... whoa... wait a minute." Nick said thinking about it for a moment. "$200 - $198? But that's... only $2."

All the kits then paused for a moment and realized that Nick was right. 200 minus 198 equal 2. So the fine was only $2? Was it really gonna be that low?

"$2? That's the fine?" Judy asked a bit stunned.

"Yes. You sold your popsicles for that much and I didn't get to have one. So a fine of $2 should be fair for not having your permit, riiiiight?" Tigrelo said raising his eyebrow and smirking.

The kits were all still surprised. It seems that Officer Tigrelo was cutting them a deal. Normally, the fine would be much higher. But it seems that Tigrelo was a nice enough guy not to let them pay too much. After exchanging looks, the kits all smile and nodded.

"Y... yeah! Sounds fair to us. Right, guys?" Nick asked.

"Agreed." Judy said nodding.

"Totally agree." Benji said agreeing as well.

"Yep. Fair is fair." Gideon said also agreeing.

Finnick was still pondering the idea. Guess he wasn't too fond of giving back money. Even if it was a small amount.

"Finn..." Nick said to Finnick.

"I'm thinking. I'm thinking." Finnick said.

"Finnick!" Nick, Judy, Benji, and Gideon shouted at him.

"Ugh! Fine!" Finnick said in defeat.

Finnick then went to the money jar and take out 2 dollars from it. It seems like it hurt him inside a bit, but he gave the 2 dollars to Officer Tigrelo.

"Thank you, little guy." Tigrelo said leaning down and taking the money.

"Please don't call me little, sir." Finnick said.

"Now... it seems like the fine is paid now. So you kids are all free to go." Tigrelo said with a smile. "Now remember, if I ever catch you selling popsicles without a permit again... you better have an extra one for me. Or else you will have to pay another $2 fine.

"Yes, sir." Nick and the others said saluting.

"Now get going. Not every other cop is as easy going as I am." Tigrelo said.

"Right." Nick said. "Come on, guys. Let's get moving."

"Yeah." Judy, Gideon, Benji, and Finnick said agreeing.

"See ya, Officer Tigrelo." Judy said waving good.

The kits then moved their cooler and said their goodbyes to Officer Tigrelo. They were only lucky that he was such a nice guy. Any other officer may not have gone so easy on them. As the gang pushed the cooler, they started to talk.

"That was close." Benji said. "We could have been in really big trouble."

"Please. Like he was actually willing to arrest a few kids." Finnick said. "He just wanted to get his own cut."

"Yes. It was his evil plan to have us pay 2 bucks when the fee could have been higher while alerting us that selling things without a permit is bad." Nick said sarcastically.

"That's what I'm saying." Finnick said.

"Finnick, it was just 2 dollars. It's no big deal." Judy stated.

"Do you know what you could do with 2 dollars? I know a place where you can get a pizza, two sides dishes, a brownie, and milk for that much and STILL get 50 cents in change." Finnick stated.

"I know that place too. It's called the school cafeteria." Nick stated with a straight face.

"It's still a good deal." Finnick said sounding a bit pouty.

"Sounds better than the cafeterias in Bunnyburrow." Gideon said.

"Mostly rabbit food?" Nick, Finnick, and Benji asked.

"Mostly rabbit food." Gideon answered.

"Figures that a fox would complain at our school lunches." Judy said.

"Hahaha!" The guys all laughed.

So after selling the pawpsicles, Nick, Judy, and the others went over to Sweeti's Bakery, sitting on a big table, to wait for the other scouts, hoping that they did well on their jobs. Nick was currently counting all the money they made. They also spend a few dollars to give themselves each a doughnut.

"Let's see. Adding up all the money we made and subtracting the money from the fine we had to pay and including the 5 doughnuts we just bought..." Nick said calculating everything.

"Actually Nick..." Benji said while eating a second doughnut.

"And including the **6** doughnuts we just bought..." Nick stated a bit mad that Benji got another doughnut without his consent. "We have a total of $192."

"A little lesser, but still a pretty good haul if you ask me." Finnick said.

"Yeah. Hard to believe we made so much in one day." Gideon said.

"With this money, we can help out pop at the shop." Nick said happily.

"Great." Judy said happily. "I wonder how everyone else did?"

At that moment, Flash, Mervin, and Falisha came into the bakery. Flash was still was on the wagon. Mervin and Falisha had stunned expressions on their faces.

"Oh! Flash! Mervin! Falisha! You're all here." Nick said.

Mervin and Falisha didn't say anything. They just admitted lifted Flash from the wagon and sat him down on one of the empty chairs on the table.

"Okay... we can NOT let Flash ride that wagon anymore." Mervin said seriously.

"Huh? Why not?" Judy asked.

"When we put Flash on that wagon, he just... ZOOMED!" Falisha said.

"Zoomed?" Judy said looking confused.

"Yes. As in, moved really fast. Like 'super' fast" Falisha stated.

"Whaaaaaaaat?" Judy, Finnick, Benji, and Gideon said shouted out surprised.

"Seriously, no joke. Flash on that wagon was faster than we expected." Mervin stated. "He zigged. He zagged. He was like twice as fast as we were on feet. We could barely keep up with him."

Judy, Finnick, Benji, and Gideon were all stunned to hear that. How is it even possible for a sloth to be so fast on a wagon? Nick was the only one that didn't seem fazed at all. Judy noticed.

"How are you not stunned by this?" Judy asked.

Nick shrugged and smirked. "I told you that Flash will surprise you." Nick said.

"What... can... I... say? I... work... to... please." Flash said.

"So how did you guys do?" Nick asked.

"Well... we were able to get some business cards done and gave them out to some people." Mervin said.

"But when we mention the owner was a fox to a few, they throw some of them away." Falisha said looking sad.

"Well, that figures." Finnick said crossing his arms and looking mad.

"It's fine. Most people throw those away anyway." Nick stated.

"Uhh... who's..." Falisha said wondering who the fennec fox was.

"Oh. This is Finnick. Our new member." Nick stated.

"Not confirmed." Finnick said, still not sure if he actually wanted to join.

"Anyway, that only leaves Cole, Conner, Audran, and Ron." Nick said. "But they should be here soon."

Just like Nick said, Cole, Conner, Audran, and Ronnie stepped inside the bakery. But something was up. Audran was Ronnie were carrying Cole and Conner, who seemed very riled up for some reason.

"Let us go!" Cole shouted out.

"Not until you two calm down." Ronnie said.

"We ARE calm." Conner stated, still riled up.

"Calmer." Audran said.

"Fine." Cole and Conner said before taking a deep breath.

Audran and Ronnie finally let go of Cole and Conner.

"What's got you two so riled up that Audran and Ronnie had to hold you guys up?" Judy asked.

"You will not guess who the four of us ran into." Cole stated as he dashed to the table. The same for Conner.

"See, that four of us were hanging the posters we made over town and..." Conner said.

Let's flashback to what happened with Cole, Conner, Audran, and Ronnie. The four were hanging posters Downtown on a wooden post with tape. Ronnie holding the big stack of posters.

"Okay. We put up a few posters around this block. But let's keep going." Audran said.

"Yeah. We'll post up so many posters that Mr. Wilde's store will be packed." Connie said.

Just at that moment, a large wind blew and swept away all of the posters that Ronnie was holding. They were all floated to the sky and around the block.

"Uhh... I think this block is covered." Ronnie said.

"Rooooonnie!" Cole, Conner, and Audran shouted out.

"Well... no point in crying about it now." Ronnie said.

Cole, Conner, and Audran just shook their heads at Ronnie. As they did that, a group of kids was behind them.

"Excuse me?" One of the kids said.

Cole, Conner, Ronnie, and Audran turned around to see who it was. It was a woodchuck, a zebra, a hippo, a deer, and a wildebeest. They were all boys. These kids weren't just any kids. These were the Junior Rangers Scouts. The same scouts that tricked and muzzled Nick. But there were not wearing their uniforms. Just casual clothes. Ronnie and Audran seemed shocked and a bit angry. But Cole and Conner didn't know who they were, so they didn't seem fazed.

"Is this one of your posters?" The woodchuck said holding the poster to give back to them.

"Oh. Thanks." Conner said taking the poster back.

"Not really much good one poster would..." Cole said. But before he could finish, Ronnie pulled him away from him. Audran did the same for Conner. "Hey! Dude!"

"Why are you guys so rough?" Conner said.

"Guys, it's **them**!" Ronnie said before growling angrily.

"Them?" Cole and Conner said a little confused.

But then, after thinking about it for a second and getting a good look at each them, Cole and Conner finally got what they mean.

"Wait? Are you telling us that..." Conner said looking stunned.

"... These are the guys that..." Cole said looking as stunned as Conner.

Then there looks of stunned change to looks of pure anger. Cole and Conner then shouted out in their anger and were about to pounce on them. Audran and Ronnie held them back really tightly.

"So you're the jerks that muzzled Nick? How can you do something so cruel to him?" Conner shouted out in anger.

"So you think it's okay to think a fox or other predators are untrustworthy when you were the ones being untrustworthy? Is that what your pack is all about?" Cole shouted out also in anger.

"Guys, calm down." Audran said to them.

"No! We will not calm down. They need to pay!" Cole shouted out.

"Trust us on this one." Ronnie said to the twins before angrily staring at the Scouts. "They're not worth it."

"Let's just go, eh?" Audran said.

Audran and Ronnie then lifted up Cole and Conner and walked away from the scouts. Cole and Conner still really mad.

"Let's us at them! We want to show them how scary bunnies can be." Conner shouted out.

"You better hope we don't run into you again." Cole said angrily to the scouts.

The boys of pack 914, didn't seem to be scared of their threats. It was more of a... sad looks on their faces. Like they finally realized what they were doing was wrong. This ends the flashback.

"And that what happens." Conner said.

Everyone's expressions were... expected. Most of them were mad. Some of them were just surprised that they actually ran into those guys.

"So... you ran into the scouts of Pack 914. Those same jerks." Judy said.

"Grrrrrrrr..." Nick growled loud enough for everyone else to notice. "Out of everyone in this big city, it just had to be them."

"Nick, are you okay?" Judy asked.

"I'm fine." Nick said having a bit of a serious tone..

"You sure? Cause you don't sound fine." Benji said with a worried look on his face.

"I SAID I'M FINE!" Nick shouted out as he slammed his fists on the table. This scared everyone a bit. Except for Gideon.

"Now City Boy, I didn't come all the way from Bunnyburrow to hear act this way." Gideon said. "Take it from someone who has felt the exact same way you are feeling right now to tell you this. You are not fine."

"..." Nick didn't say anything, but he knew Gideon was right.

"Listen, Nick. It's okay for you to be angry. You just got to be honest with us." Gideon said. "So talk to us. If you keep that anger bottled up inside you, it's just gonna manufacture in ways that you never wanted to happen. Like me."

"Gideon..." Nick said looking at him.

"Come on. Talk to us. I promise you, we won't judge you or anything like that. Right everyone?" Gideon said as he looks at everyone on the table. Everyone nodded.

"He's right. Come on. You can tell us." Judy said sincerely.

Nick looked at everyone. Nick was surrounded by people he could trust and people that he could actually call friends. After thinking about for a while, he decided to talk to them.

"I was around 5 when I first heard about the Junior Ranger Scouts. I always liked the things that they do. From helping people out to going camping, to doing super fun activities. But the best was that they all did it as a group. A pack. I always wanted to be a part of that. So I said to myself, 'One day, I'm gonna be a Junior Ranger Scout.' I would stop at nothing to be a part of them." Nick said with a light smile. "But..." Nick then started to look angry as his teeth started to grind with each other. "THOSE GUYS ARE COMPLETELY EVERYTHING I'M AGAINST!"

Everyone was a bit surprised when he heard Nick shout that out.

"The scouts are supposed to be good and trustworthy. But those guys soiled the uniforms they wear with their actions." Nick said angrily. "It hurt me when they put a muzzle on me, but the fact that they did the same thing to other predators like me, it's disgusted me in more ways than one."

"Nick..." Judy said looking sad.

"The whole time, they were not gonna let ANY predators join. Why? Just because we have sharp teeth? Cause they're afraid that we may eat them?" Nick asked everyone. "The whole time they judged us, without even getting to know us."

Nick anger then lower down as he continues to say more.

"You know... the week it happened... I... I had nightmares." Nick said sadly.

Hearing this, sadden everyone on the table.

"Oh..." Benji said feeling sad for Nick.

"Every nightmare was the same. They push me down and put the muzzle on me. But the worst part was that no matter how hard I pulled, I couldn't take it off." Nick said sadly. "Mom and Pop were a bit concern for me, but I couldn't tell them about what happened. I just couldn't."

"Nick... we had no idea about the nightmares." Cole said feeling down.

"It's not like I wanted to tell you guys. It's not really something I wanted to talk about." Nick said.

"It's... true. We... understand... why... you... didn't... tell... us... before." Flash said.

"After we scared some sense into them, the nightmares stopped. But... I started to have... _different_ dreams." Nick said.

"What do you mean by... different?" Finnick asked.

"Uhhhh..." Nick didn't seem to want to tell them.

"Nick, you know you can tell us anything." Judy said to him.

"Yeah. Go on, City Boy." Gideon said.

Nick nodded before speaking.

"When I say my dreams were different, I mean that they were short of... flipped." Nick said.

"Flipped?" Conner said looking confused.

"I mean, it was like a different kind of nightmare. It was me with the scouts. Only this time, they were scared of me." Nick said. "It was... like when I was pretending to be savage. But only this time, I... actually savage for real."

"For... real?" Judy said surprised.

"I had them trapped into a corner as I was about to pounce on them. But before I did anything serious, I woke up and end the dream there." Nick said. "The next day, I had the same dream. Night... after night... after night. But last night, something happens."

"What happen?" Judy asked looking really concern for Nick.

"Last night... in my dream, when I was about to pounce on them, the part where I usually wake up before I do anything... I... I didn't." Nick said.

Everyone else's eyes widen when they hear Nick say that. So what Nick his saying is... that in his dream he actually attacked the Scouts? Nick had his head down and cringed at the thought. It looked like he was about to cry.

"Is it wrong? Is it wrong for me to even think that way?" Nick said trying not to cry. "Did I really hate them that much to wanted to do something so awful? Or is it just because... the savage predator really is still inside my DNA? How am I suppose to feel? I don't know how I should feel about any of this."

Judy and everyone else started to feel really sad for Nick and didn't know what to say to him. To think that Nick kept all that to himself the whole time. He always felt that he could be more than just a fox and that the predator instinct isn't in any animals anymore. But to be unsure about it was something not expected by everyone else. After a few seconds, Finnick decided to speak for everyone.

"Nick, I think I speak for everyone when I say that you are overthinking things." Finnick said as he crosses his arms.

"Huh?" Nick said as he lifted his head up and looked at Finnick.

"You're acting like you shouldn't be mad at the scouts for what they did to you. You're acting like what they did to you wasn't wrong. But we all know, you have the right reasons to be mad." Finnick said. "Any of us would be just as mad as you were. Heck, I might be even madder than you are. As a fox, I get what you are going through. I know how most grown-ups talk about other mammals like us and thinking that they know what's best. But the truth is, they don't really know what's best. Adults these days make more mistakes than us kids ever could and they don't choose to learn from them. And the worst part is when they pass it down to their kids. That's the deal with those scouts."

"Finnick's right. You have all the reasons to still be mad at the scouts." Benji said.

"Not like any of us were thinking the same thing." Conner said.

"I'm pretty sure Judy told you how colorful our thoughts were." Cole said.

"But at least you and Judy had the courage to stand up to them and teach them a lesson. Most of us didn't even do anything about them." Mervin said. "Those scouts were all jerks, which is unfitting to be like real scouts. So we all made the right choice not being a part of them."

"See Nick? You thinking all those things doesn't make you a bad person." Judy said. "You are doing your best to make it farther than most mammal. You even want to prove that there is more to a fox than meets the eye."

"Do... you... see... any... of... us... forming... group... of... predators... and... prey... together?" Flash asked.

"So... you guys really aren't judging me?" Nick asked everyone.

All the scouts happily shook their heads.

"But there is one thing I don't get." Finnick said. "You told me that you and Judy recorded them admitting the things that they did... but you deleted the recording in front of them. Why did you do that? If it was me, I would have kept that for myself and blackmail them or play it to the police. You could have totally ruined their lives for everything they did. So why didn't you?"

"Like I told Judy, I didn't need any dirt on them. They were already dirty enough." Nick said. "Sure I could have kept the record and use it to ruin their entire child life, but it's not really something I would do. So instead, I chose to let them know that I choose not to. Now that they know that everything that did was wrong, every time they put on that uniform, they have to reminded of that... for the rest of their lives. Which in my opinion, is even worst to have to live with."

"Jeez... When you put it that way..." Finnick said. "But let me ask you something else. What really was the main reason you wanted to join the Junior Ranger Scouts?"

"I guess... the reason I wanted to join the Junior Ranger Scouts was... because I wanted to be with a group of people that liked me and finally make friends." Nick said sadly.

"Well, that's a dumb reason." Finnick said honestly.

"HEY!" Nick said a bit angry.

"Let me finish." Finnick said halting Nick. "First off, look around this table. Do you think that everyone is here because we DON'T like to hang out with you? No. We're here because we are all your friends."

"He's right. You already have so many people that like you now." Judy said. "Finnick, Gideon, Flash, Benji, my brothers, and sisters,... me..." Judy said blushing a bit. "... and everyone here on this table."

"Yeah. None of us care about that fact that you're a fox. You're a good person." Benji said.

"Right. Red fur, fangs, and claws don't mean a thing to us." Audran said.

"You have got to know you more and we know that you are not a bad person." Ronnie said.

"But to be honest with you, I think a few of us own you an apology." Mervin said.

"An apology?" Nick asked.

"Other kits always talk about you and other foxes in our school and say that you were all bad news. But we all only believe that stuff cause that what our parents told us that stuff." Falisha stated.

"But when we heard what the scouts did to you, when you did nothing wrong, we knew you couldn't be all bad." Audran said.

"We never should have thought that way of you or any fox without getting to know you." Ronnie said.

"So... we just all wanted to say... we're really sorry." Mervin said sincerely.

Nick had felt really happy with everything that everyone had to say. For the first time, Nick was surrounded by a whole group of friends. People that he could trust. People that trusted him. Nick always had only a few friends. Now he has a whole table's worth of friends.

"Thank you... everyone." Nick said happily. "It was always hard for me to make friends, but now I know that my hard work is finally paying off." Nick then seem more cheery. "Alright! I'm feeling so much better now. I don't want to be mopey anymore. It's not really the kind of thing you expect something like me to be."

"Hehe! You're right about that." Judy said smiling.

"Heh! Bout time you realize that." Finnick said smirking.

"I owe you a big thanks too, Finnick. You may like to be rough around the edges, but you're a really good friend." Nick said smiling at Finnick.

Finnick seemed a little embarrassed by Nick's comment and tried to hide it. Finnick wasn't the kind of guy used to others thanking him.

"Well...us Zoo-Burrows Scouts got to stick together right?" Finnick answered.

"Wait. So you're actually joining us for real this time?" Nick asked.

"Don't think too much about it. I just think you and all these guys you are hanging out with... I wouldn't mind being a part of it." Finnick said. "BUT... don't expect to wear a uniform. Maybe just the cap and the handkerchief, but that it. Got it?"

"Sure." Nick said with a smile.

"Finnick, you really are a little-big softie." Judy stated with a smile.

"Nick was right. You bunnies are mean." Finnick said with a straight face.

All the kits started to laugh quite a bit. Even Finnick.

"Well... it's been fun, but I got to get going." Finnick said as he got off his chair

"You're leaving, Finn?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. I gonna go get this permit thing settled." Finnick said. "Think about it. If we were able to make so much money in one day, think about how much we could have for EVERY day?"

"Ha... ha. Money's never far from your mind, is it?" Nick asked shrugging. "But I'm not gonna lie, that does sound pretty good."

"I know, right? Well... see ya guys." Finnick said waving goodbye.

Everyone said their goodbyes to Finnick as he left the bakery.

"Say Nick, we should get going too." Judy said.

"Right. I think we did all we could today." Nick said holding the jar of money. "With the posters, business cards, and the money we made from selling the pawpsicles, we've helped my folk all we could." Nick then got out of his chair. "Ready to go, guys?"

"Ready!" Everyone else said.

So everyone got out of their chairs and was ready to leave. Before leaving the bakery, Judy's brothers, Cole and Conner got to talking.

"Say bro, you remember what that Finnick dude was talking about?" Cole asked Conner.

"About grown-ups not always knowing what's best and about them making mistakes and passing down to their kits?" Conner asked.

"Mom and dad always told us not to trust foxes. But they were wrong about Nick, Gideon, and Mr. and Mrs. Wilde as well." Cole stated.

"They also say to be careful around predators. But we were with predators the whole day and nothing bad happen." Conner stated.

"The two of them were wrong about all those things." Cole said.

"What else could they be wrong about?" Conner said.

Seems that Cole and Conner were starting to think about things differently.

"C and C, are you coming?" Judy asked noticing her brothers haven't moved yet.

"Coming." Both Cole and Conner said.

So all the kits left Sweeti's Bakery to head back to Nick's shop. Around the way and carrying all their stuff, Nick noticed something about one of the mammals they passed by. It was a male antelope wearing a very sleek blue suit. Nick looked a little stunned by it.

"Hang on a minute. That suit... it's one of my dad's." Nick stated.

"Huh? Are you sure?" Judy asked.

"I know my own pop's stitchwork." Nick said. "I'm telling you guys. That was one of my dad's suit."

"Uhhhh... guys?" Mervin said to everyone by the corner of the street. "You might want to see this."

Everyone dashed to the corner and see the spot where the Wilde and Son's shop was. But there was one that shocked all the kids to see. There was a huge line of many different mammals around the entrance of the shop.

"Is that... a line?" Nick said stunned.

"That's... a... big... line." Flash slowly stated.

"I never have seen a line at my folk's shop before. Let alone these many customers at once." Nick said. "Come on. Let's see what's up."

The kits all dashed into the shop to see what was up. Nick went by the other mammals, being sure to say "Excuse me?" "Coming through?" "Sorry." "I live here.". He kept walking until he was able to get to his parents. He sees that his mom and dad had their paws full, but they all seem to be happy being so busy. John was currently finishing up with a male ox customer.

"Here you go. Have a nice day." John said with a wide smile.

"Thank you. Also, did anyone ever told you that you have a really wide smile?" The ox asked.

"Haha! I get that a lot." John said happily.

The ox then left holding a bag with one of John's suit. Then John's next customer showed up. The customer was a male rhino holding a light blue suit.

"My best suit has a few tears in it. Can you fix it?" The rhino asked.

"Let me take a closer look at it." John said getting a look at the suit. "Hmm... uh huh... okay. These are no problem for me. Come back tomorrow and I'll have this suit as good as new for you for about $25. No more. No less."

"That's... actually cheaper than the last place I went. It was like 50 big ones for fewer rips than that." The rhino said.

"Well, then that place must be ripping you off a bit." John said. "Around here, I make sure my work is fair and honest."

"Great. I can't thank you enough." The rhino said.

"Just be sure to past that on." John said with a smile.

The rhino then left. Nick then went to his dad.

"Pop! What's going on?" Nick asked.

"Can you believe it, Nick? For the first time, the shop has a boatload of new customers." John said.

"The two of us could hardly keep up." Francine said. "We had to have Stu and Bonnie helped us out."

Nick and the other kits look and notice Judy's parents helping out some of the customers pick out a suit and seeing if it would fit them.

"Wow! This is... amazing." Nick said happily.

"So... we... actually did it?" Benji asked.

"I... guess we did." Gideon said.

"Oh! Here come's one of my latest clients. Calls himself **Mr. Big.** " John said.

After John said that, the kits looked and noticed three polar bears, wearing black suits, walking toward them. One of them was much taller than the other two and had this very serious look on his face and appear to be holding something.

"Woah!" All the kits said.

"The taller one must be Mr. Big." Nick said.

"Mr. Big is right. He's so... big." Judy said looking a little scared.

The polar bear then stopped by the counter and put his paws down. He put down a tiny chair and turned it around. On the tiny chair was an arctic shrew with a sort of "Godfather" appeal, wearing a tiny black suit. It may have been one of John's.

"Mr. Big, good to see you again." John said to the arctic shrew.

"I'm assuming that **HE'S** Mr. Big." Nick stated a little surprised.

"Huh. Guess the name is ironic." Judy said.

The arctic shrew started to speak.

"Johnathan. You have done me a great service. You really have a talent for the suits you made." Mr. Big said. "My boys and I really love the suits you made us. I have never seen them so happy."

The polar bears still had serious looks on their faces. You can assume that these were their happy faces.

"Well, I'm glad to see they like them." John said.

"As promised, your pay." Mr. Big said snapping his finger.

One of the polar bears then dropped a huge stack of cash on their counter. This made Nick, Judy, and the jaws of the others dropped. John was a bit surprised about the amount of cash as well.

"This... is much more than my work is worth. I don't think I can accept this." John said honestly as he slid the cash back to Mr. Big.

Mr. Big was a little surprised that John had such an honest nature for fox, let alone declining being offered a huge amount of cash. Mr. Big then looked to his side and noticed Nick.

"That little kit over there, is that your son?" Mr. Big asked.

"Oh. Yes. He's my little Nick. The son of 'Wilde and Son's'." John said proudly.

"I happen to be a father myself. I have a little daughter. She's named Fru Fru. She means the world to me. I assume that you feel the same thing about you and your son." Mr. Big said.

"Yes. I do." John said.

"As fathers, we are providers and want to give our children the things we never had." Mr. Big said. "I'm assuming by this little shop here, it must be hard for you. Am I right?"

"Uhhh..." John didn't know how to respond. It was true that he couldn't provide Nick with all the things a kid his age would like. But he was surprised that Mr. Big guessed that.

"Listen Johnathan, you're a good man. A good and honest man. Some people won't see that and think it's all an act, while some people use your honesty to benefit their own needs." Mr. Big said. "But being honest won't mean a thing if it won't pay your bills." Mr. Big then got off out of his chair and then kicked back the stack of cash to John. "So, I ask you again. Take the money. Pay your bills. Provide for your family. Give your son the things you never had."

"Well, when you put it all like that... it's hard for anyone to say no." John said as he picked up the stack of Zoo-Dollars. "Thank you. I don't know if I could ever repay you."

"Think nothing of it. Just consider it a token of our new friendship." Mr. Big said. He then looked at Nick once again. "Nick, was it?"

"Yes, sir?" Nick asked.

"Let me get a closer look at you." Mr. Big said.

"O... okay." Nick said a bit confused why Mr. Big wanted him for.

Nick walked over to Mr. Big. Mr. Big looked deep at the young fox's eyes and was able to give out his opinion on the boy.

"I like this kid." Mr. Big said with a smile. "He has eyes similar to his father. Bold, but honest. Cunning, but sincere. Brave, but kind. Quite rare quality for someone your age."

"Th... thank you." Nick said with a smile.

"If you are ever in Tundratown, come by my turf. My mama will make you a nice cannoli." Mr. Big said.

"Ooh! That sounds good." Nick said liking the idea of a cannoli. "Thank you for the offer."

Mr. Big then went back to his chair and sat on it.

"Boys, let's take our leave." Mr. Big said to his polar bear workers.

So Mr. Big and his boys take their leave of the shop and Nick waved goodbye to them.

"He seemed really nice." Nick said with a smile.

 **(Yeah. Real nice. Totally not a crime boss or anything like that.)** John was now holding the money given to him by Mr. Big. He then called to Francine.

"Frankie, look at this. With this money alone, we can pay off all our bills. "John said. "Not to mention all the money we just made for today alone."

"We could even give Nick that toy he wanted. The one he's always eyeballing." Francine whispered to John.

"Haha! Things are finally going our way." John said hugging his wife.

"Guess they don't really need the money we made at all." Gideon said.

"I'll still give it to them anyway." Nick said.

Nick carried the jar of money and went to his parents.

"Mom. Pop." Nick said to get their attention.

"What's you got there, champ?" John asked noticing the money jar.

"It's the money we made from selling pawpsicles. We all wanted to make some money to help you pay some of your bills." Nick said.

It warmed both John and Francine's hearts that their child would do something so nice for them.

"Oh, Nick. Such a sweet son you are." Francine said leaning down and hugging Nick.

"We really appreciate the gesture, son." John said leaning down and patting Nick's head. "But as you can see, I think we are doing fine. As you can see. I'll tell you what. Since you worked so hard for that money, how about you and your friends keep it for yourselves?"

"Really?" Nick said surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Did you see the line outside, kiddo? We're sure." John said.

"Wow! Thanks, mom and pop!" Nick said happily. He then turned to his friends. "Hear that guys? So... who knows how to split $192 equal to all of us?"

"Hang on a second. Huddle up everyone." Judy said to the others.

So all the Zoo-Burrow kits, except for Nick, huddle up to talk about what to do with the money. After a few seconds, they all looked back at Nick.

"So Nick, we all talk about it and well... Flash, you want to tell him?" Judy said.

"We... all... decided... that... you... should... keep... all the... money." Flash said with a smile.

"Are you guys serious?" Nick asked surprised.

"Of course. You're the leader after all." Benji said.

"It was also your idea to help your parents." Mervin said.

"And you came up with the pawpsicle idea to make the money." Gideon said.

"So it's only clear that you earn the money." Falisha said.

"*sniff**sniff* You guys are trying to get me emotional again." Nick said smiling and trying not to cry. "Thanks, everyone. Wait! I almost forgot." Nick then dug his paws into the money jar and take out about 39 Zoo-Dollars. "Even if you guys don't want some of the money, I do feel like I'm obligated to give Finnick his cut. $39 should be the right amount."

"Nick, you are WAAAAAYYY too honest to be a fox." Gideon stated.

"You guys are giving me a lot of compliments today." Nick said smirking.

All the kits started laughing again. At that moment, another customer came by to John. The customer was a male black horse.

"Excuse me. Wilde, wasn't it?" The horse said.

"Yep. That's me." John said.

"I... feel like I owe you an apology." The horse said.

"An apology? What for?" John asked.

"See? I've always pasted your store, but I never went inside because... uhhh..." The horse said.

"You thought since I was a fox I couldn't be trusted." John said. "It's fine. It's nothing I'm unfamiliar with it."

"I guess it was really stupid of me to think that way." The horse said scratching the back of his head.

"Well, what made you decided to come in this time?" John asked.

"A group of kits was going around town telling everyone about your shop." The horse said.

Nick and the others were happening to be listening. Nick then looked at his friends.

"I don't remember seeing this guy." Ronnie stated.

"Me neither." Audran said.

"Any of you guys?" Nick asked his friends. Everyone shook their heads no. Nick then started to ponder about things. Who told them about the store if it wasn't them. Nick had a guess, so he as the horse. "Excuse me, sir? Were there five of these kits and one of them was... a woodchuck?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." The horse said.

All the kits were shocked to hear that. If there were five kits and one of them was a woodchuck, then it could only be Pack 914 of The Junior Ranger Scouts. They... actually helped them.

"That's got to be scouts? By why would they..."

"Guys! Look outside." Benji said to everyone by the window of the shop.

The kits all went to the window and they all had stunned looks on their faces on who they saw. It was them. The boys of Pack 914. Nick had mixed feelings again. But mostly angry feelings. Actually, pretty much everyone had angry feelings.

"It's them." Judy said looking mad.

"Conner, let's get some rope." Cole said.

"On it." Conner said about to run off and get some rope.

"No." Nick said halting them. "I want to talk to them. Jude, Gid, Ben, come with me."

"You sure you don't want the rest of us to come?" Mervin asked.

"It will be fine." Nick said. "Let's just see what they want."

"Okay. But if they do ANYTHING bad to you..." Conner said.

"Then you can do whatever you want to them." Nick told Conner. "Let's go."

"Right." Judy, Benji, and Gideon said.

The four walked out of the shop and over to the five scouts of Pack 914. The five were still not wearing their uniforms. Nick, Judy, Benji all had angry looks on their faces. Gideon was mad too, but he didn't really know how to feel since he doesn't really know these guys. The scouts all had sad looks on their faces.

"Hey..." The woodchuck said trying to lighten up the mood.

"So... it was you guys who helped us out?" Nick asked them.

"Yeah... we did." The zebra said.

"What? Are you expecting a 'thank you'? Cause I'm telling you right now. You're not getting one." Nick said angrily.

"We didn't do it for a thank you. We just... we just want to talk. We don't want to cause any trouble." The woodchuck said.

"No trouble? Ho ho! That's funny." Gideon said sarcastically. "Cause from what I heard, causing trouble is what you guys are good at."

"One good deed doesn't change a thing about what you did to Nick and the other predators." Judy said angrily. "We're not gonna just listen to what you want to say."

"Judy." Nick said wanting her to stop. He then went back to glaring angrily at the scouts. "We want to talk? Fine. Let's talk. But you better watch out. You know how we _foxes_ can be."

"Yeah. Us foxes can be _untrustworthy_ and _dangerous_." Gideon stated.

"So be warned, I can't promise I won't go savage for real this time. And trust me on this one, these guys here WON'T stop me." Nick said in a threatening tone.

"No we won't." Judy said crossing her arms.

"Not even a little." Benji said seriously.

The scouts were all silent for a bit. Nick didn't like it.

"Well? Are any of you gonna say anything?" Nick asked losing patients.

The woodchuck was the one who stepped forward.

"Nick... you were... absolutely right about everything you said about us." The woodchuck said trying to sound sincere. "We've been horrible people for what we were doing to predators. As scouts, we shouldn't even think about doing something so cruel."

"Go on." Nick said.

"The night you talked to us, about us being dirty enough, those words hit us really hard. It was like all felt this guilt grabbing us and holding on and squeezed the life out of us. We never felt some my pain in our life." The woodchuck said. "We couldn't live with the guilt of what we did anymore... so... we all decided to come clean."

"Come... clean?" Nick said looking surprised.

"We... told our scoutmaster what we did and what you told us." The hippo said.

Nick, Judy, Benji, and Gideon's eyes widen when they heard that. They actually told their scoutmaster what he did.

"What did he said?" Nick asked.

"He said the things you would expect. That you were right and we were wrong." The zebra said.

"That our actions were unforgivable." The deer said.

"That we were a disgrace not only to all scouts but to the uniform and to the oath as well." The wildebeest said.

"You can guess the next part." The woodchuck said.

"He kicked you all out, did he?" Nick asked.

"... Yeah. He did." The woodchuck said.

This... was quite surprising. So it seems that the scouts of Pack 914 were scouts no more. Even with this news, Nick wasn't really fazed by this.

"What? Am I suppose to feel sorry for you? Cause I don't. You guys deserved it." Nick said still mad.

"You're right." The boys all said.

"In fact, you guys all deserved WAY worst." Nick stated.

"We know." The boys all said.

"All of you actions were some of the worst things anyone could do." Nick said.

"You're right." The boys all said.

"SHUT UP!" Nick shouted at them. This scared them a bit. "Stop acting like you're sorry and pretending what you did wasn't wrong when it really is."

"But..." The woodchuck said.

"No! You said what you need to. Now it's my turn." Nick stated still very mad. "You don't get to say anything else until I say what I need to, GOT IT?"

The boys didn't say anything like Nick told them. They just nodded. It was very clear that Nick was still very mad at Nick and them. In fact, he actually seems madder than how he was at the bakery. Seems that he wasn't done talking about how he felt.

"To me, that night was supposed to be the best day of my life. But you took my dream and stomp on it." Nick told them. "You made me felt that I could only be a conniving fox. I was ready to give up on everything. The only reason why I didn't, was because I had her." Nick then pointed at Judy. "Even with foxes and rabbits history, we are still friends. But you guys wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Nick said poking at the woodchuck's chest. "You only cared about yourselves and want us to be a zoo of mammals that don't get along. Did it ever occur to you guys that us predators are more than just sharp teeth? Cause other than that, I don't see the differences between prey or predator."

Nick then started walking away from them and to his friends.

"Do you guys have anything to add?" Nick asked them.

"I do." Judy said stepping forward and walking to the former scouts. She, like Nick, had an angry look on her face. "Like Nick, it disgusted me what you did to him and other predators. But what really disgusted me was the fact that I could have ended up like you jerks." Judy stated. "I felt that predators were vicious and prey were meek, but you proved to me that prey can be just as vicious as any predator. If anything, prey all the reasons that predators are getting a bad rep."

"I can vouch for that." Gideon said. "You may not know me, but I can tell you this. Guys like you are the reason I was a bully. Always judging me before they even got to know me. You even judge someone like Benji over here. Really? Benji? This guy's basically the opposite of savage."

"I didn't even do anything wrong." Benji said trying not to cry.

"See? If you wouldn't let someone as nice as Ben join, then who? Jerks that also don't like predators." Nick asked them. "Bottomline is... whatever other things bad come your way, you deserve it. All of you." Nick was still very mad, but he was a bit calmer now. "Alright. I think we all said our peace. You got anything else you want to say to us."

"You don't think we know any of that?" The woodchuck said sadly. "We all knew what we did was wrong, yet we still did it."

"We understand if you all hate us for all we did and if you never forgive us." The deer said. "If anyone did the same to use, we wouldn't forgive them either."

"We were all close-minded and afraid. Afraid to see things a different way. To see things from a predators point of view." The wildebeest said.

"Even if you kept that recording and played it to the police, we would have deserved that. Many ever worst." The hippo said.

"But we all already feel so horrible and we know we can never make it up to anyone." The woodchuck said with his head down. "But... we did think about one thing."

"And what's that?" Nick asked.

The woodchuck then dug into his pockets. He then took out something that really surprised them. It was the muzzle. The same muzzle they put on Nick. Seeing that, Nick and the others jumped back.

"The muzzle?! Again?!" Nick said angrily.

He then got his claws out getting ready to defend himself, if he had to. It also looks like Judy, Benji, and Gideon was gonna do the same. The woodchuck then held up the muzzle in front of everyone.

"You remember what you told us. Who deserves it more? The mammal who gets muzzled or the mammal who was heartless enough to actually put it on someone?" The woodchuck asked. "The answer is..."

The woodchuck then did something that REALLY surprised everyone. He put the muzzle on... HIMSELF.

"... the mammal who was heartless enough to actually put it on someone." The woodchuck said.

Nick and the others didn't even know how to respond.

"We all may have been bad to the predators, but I was always the one who put the muzzle of them. I was also the one who came up with the whole muzzle thing in the first place." The woodchuck admitted. "So if anyone deserves wearing this muzzle, it's me." He then started to have tears come down from his eyes. "So go ahead. Tease me. Get back at me for what we did. I deserve it."

Nick really couldn't believe his eyes or ears. It seems that he was really sorry. But not just him, all of the former scouts seemed really sorry too. Nick was silent for a bit. He was thinking about actually teasing him, like what they did to him. But... that wasn't who Nick was. Eventually... all the anger he had... started to fade and he retracted his claws.

"*sigh* Take it off." Nick said.

"Huh?" The woodchuck said a bit surprised.

"You heard me. Take it off." Nick said.

The woodchuck tokes the muzzle off his face like Nick told him to.

"Now... see that trash can over there." Nick said pointing at a blue trash can on the street corner."

"Yeah?" The woodchuck said.

"Do us all a favor and throw that thing away." Nick said to him. "I don't want to see that muzzle ever again."

The woodchuck nodded and ran to the trash can. He then threw the muzzle in it. He then ran back to the others.

"Listen... I'm not gonna just forgive you and forget what you did. That's clear." Nick said. "But... if I were to just stay mad, I would just grow up to be all grouchy and stuff. Not only that, you all do seem really sorry for what you did. So... I suppose we can let you guys get a pass." Nick then turned to the others. "That okay with you guys?"

"If it's really fine with you, then I guess it's fine with us." Judy said.

"Guess I am too." Gideon said.

"Yeah. Me too." Benji said.

"Th... Thank you." The boys all said smiling a bit.

"Just... don't think too much of it." Nick said crossing his arms.

"So... Nick... we heard that you decided to make your own pack of scouts." The zebra said.

"Cause... we were thinking..." The deer said.

"Let me guess, you want to join?" Nick asked them

"If... that's okay." The woodchuck said.

"Normally, I would be all 'No way!'. But there is this number #1 rule of 'We'll let anyone join. Prey or Predator.'." Nick stated. "HOWEVER, your actions won't make you get the easy way. So you guys are going be on a probation."

"Probation?" The boys said.

"Yes. Probation. You guys did a lot of bad things to predators like me. So if you are really serious about this, then you have to make up for all your wrongs. You already lost my trust with that stunt you pulled. So it gonna be harder to earn my trust back." Nick said.

"That... sounds fair." The zebra said.

"I know it is. I'm a triple F. A Firm and Fair Fox." Nick stated.

"He is." Judy, Gideon, and Benji said.

"Well, I guess we should take them to everyone else now." Nick said.

"Hang on." Judy said to Nick. "I have just one more thing to say."

Judy then walked up to the woodchuck and viciously grabbed his shirt and pulled him down to her level.

"Listen you, Nick may have forgiven you... for now. But know this. If ANY of you make one bad move, JUST ONE, then we are gonna find out if bunnies should be considered predators. GOT IT?!"

"GOT IT!" The woodchuck said very frighted.

"That goes for the rest of you too." Judy said to the other boys.

"GOT IT!" The boys all said also looking frightened.

"Woah! I didn't know Judy could be so... fierce." Gideon said looking a bit stunned.

"I know. I could never guess that for a bunny." Benji stated.

"I like her like this. She's one tough bunny." Nick said smirking.

Judy then lets go of the woodchuck. Pretty sure he's scarred now... again.

"Alright. Let's all head back to the shop." Nick said.

"Right." Everyone else shouted.

The kits all started walking back to the shop.

"Quick question, were those two bunnies we met early..." The wildebeest asked.

"My brothers? Yes, they were." Judy answered.

"Little heads up. They might tie all of you with rope." Nick said.

"What?" The boys shouted scared.

"What did you expect? You better just deal it, dude." Nick said.

"Aw man!" The boys said not liking the sound of that.

So it seems that Nick has slightly begun to forgive Pack 914. But it looks like they have a lot of work to do if they are gonna make up for everything. Nick and Judy were gonna make sure of that. Maybe the same with the twins. They were serious about the rope. The Wilde and Son's shop was finally doing well and making good business. Seems that things were finally looking up for Nick and his family.

 **That's the end of this chapter. So what will happen next? Find out it the next chapter. Hopefully, it won't take too long.**


	13. Chapter 12: Catching the Flu

**Ah yes. Time for Chapter 12. It may not be my best chapter, but it's something none the less. For this chapter, Judy begins to feel under the weather. How will this affect their weekly visit? Will Nick be okay if she doesn't show up this week? Guess you will have to find out in this chapter. Let's get to it. Also, thank you for over 200 followers.**

* * *

In a nice little school in Bunnyburrow, which just happens to be Judy's school, classes were finished for the day. It was a Friday, so all the kids were happy for the weekend. Judy was walking down the halls with a few of her friends with their backpacks on their backs. It was the same three that were in her play. Kyle, Bobby, and Sharla.

"Thank goodness that school is over." Kyle said happily. "Best part is that we don't have any homework this weekend."

"Yeah. Nothing but chilling on the couch, watching cartoons, and enjoying the weekend." Bobby said smiling.

"Sounds like you two are ready for the weekend." Judy stated.

"Aren't you?" Bobby asked. "So Judy, got any plans this weekend?"

"What are you saying? Of course she has plans." Sharla said before making a wide smirk. "She's going to Zootopia again to see her **boyfriend** , Nick."

"He's not my..." Before Judy could finish the rest of that saying, Judy's nose started wigging. "Ah... ah... ah... choo!" She sneezed loudly.

"Woah! That was some sneeze. Are you okay?" Bobby asked looking concern.

"Oh. I'm fine. It was just a sneeze." Judy stated.

"You sure? Cause you have been sneezing quite a lot lately. For the last 2 days in fact." Sharla stated.

"2 days? Are you catching a cold, Judy?" Kyle asked.

"No. *sniff* I'm totally fine." Judy said as she rubs her nose. "Sure a couple of my brothers and sisters currently have colds this week. But not me."

The kits then all stopped walking. Kyle, Bobby, and Sharla then took a closer look at Judy. Her cheeks did look a little redder and so did her eyes. Including the sneezing, it was all signs of a cold. Not to mention, her ears have also been droopy the whole time.

"Have... you been fighting a cold this whole time?" Kyle asked.

"What? No. *sniff* Of course not." Judy said showing signs of lying. "I'm fit as a fiddle." Judy then started to jog in place a bit as her ears went back up. "See? Perfectly fi... fi... ah... ah... CHOO!" Judy sneezed once again.

"That doesn't sound fine." Bobby stated working worried for Judy.

"Judy, we're telling you. You're sick." Sharla said.

"And I'm telling you, I'm not..." Judy halted again. "Ah... ah... CHOO!" Judy had done yet another loud sneezed. Her ears then drooped down again and she had her head down when she realized the truth. "Oh no. I'm sick."

Meanwhile, at Zootopia, the Wilde and Son's shop was still doing pretty well with business. They were currently taking care of a customer. The customer was a brown male wolf.

"... And here's your changes." John said giving the money to the wolf.

"Thank you." The wolf said as he made his leave with one of John's nice suits.

As the wolf left, Francine went to the door and flipped the "open" sign on their door to the close side. Looks like they were done for the day.

"And there goes our last customer." John said with a smile.

"Another successful day of sales." Francine said happily.

At that moment, Nick came from upstairs and was holding a list. Both Francine and John noticed.

"What's you got there, Nick?" John asked.

"It's a list of things I want Judy and I to do with the other Zoo-Burrows scouts tomorrow." Nick said with a smile.

"You sound really excited." Francine said.

"Why wouldn't I be, mom?" Nick said. "I've really been enjoying Judy's visit. The two of us always have so much fun. Pop, you don't mind if we use the basement again, right?"

"Of course not. Use the basement as much as you want." John said with a wide smile that he was famous for.

"Thanks pop." Nick said smiling widely like his father.

Nick then went down to the basement to get things ready for tomorrow. John and Francine were really happy for their son.

"You saw that smile on his face? It's smiles like that, that make you proud to be a parent." John happily stated.

"Nick's been so happy these last couple of months. No doubt it's because of Judy." Francine stated.

"I know. I'm really glad that Nick has her as a friend." John said proudly.

At that moment, the phone started to ring.

"Phone's ringing." Francine said.

"I'll get it." John said as he walked up to the telephone. He then picked it up and answered it. "Hello? ... Oh hey, Stu!" It's was Judy's dad. "Funny, we were just talking about you and your daughter." John listens to what Stu had to say and then he started to have a look of concern. "Huh?" John faces then started to have a sad expression. "Oh no."

Francine then started to have a concerned look on her face too.

"I see. Well, I hope that they all feel better soon. ... Okay. Goodbye." John said as he hanged up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Francine asked.

"*sigh* Nick's gonna be so upset when we tell him." John said to Francine.

Down in the basement, Nick was setting up things for his meeting tomorrow looking very cheery and humming a bit. John and Frankie went down the stairs and walk to their son.

"Nick..." John said.

"Mom and Pop. What is it?" Nick asked.

"We... got some bad news." John said.

"Apparently, there is a flu going around Bunnyburrow. Mrs. Hopps and nearly half of the kits have it too. Including Judy." Francine said.

"Are... they all okay?" Nick asked looking really worried.

"Don't worry. They will all be fine." John said.

"But since everyone's sick, they won't be able to visit tomorrow." Francine said sadly.

"Oh..." Nick said sadly.

Hearing the news that Judy wouldn't come, really upset Nick quite a bit. Nick's ears drooped down and he looked down to the ground. After about a second, Nick put his head back up and looked at his parents.

"Well... alright then." Nick said trying not to look upset.

"Huh?" John and Francine said looking a bit surprised.

"I mean I can't really do anything about it and I understand why them and Judy can't come." Nick said. "It's fine. I just hope they all get better."

Nick then walked to the stairs.

"I'm gonna go up to my room." Nick said to his parents as he walks up the stairs.

Both John and Francine had worried and depressed expressions on their faces.

"He's putting on a brave face." John stated to Francine.

"I know." Francine said sadly.

" Ugh! I never wanted to be _that_ parent. The parent that gives their kid bad news." John said with his paw on his face.

"I'll go talk to him." Francine said to John.

"Alright." John said.

As Francine walked up the stairs, Nick was already in his room on his bed with his head in a pillow sulking. Nick then looked to the right side of his bed, where his new action figure was on his counter. It was a of a male lion with and wearing red tech armor and a sword. Nick picked up his figure and looked at it.

"I bet you don't get sick." Nick said to his toy. "You're a hero. You can't afford to get sick if the world is in danger." Nick then held his figure closer. "No. I know Judy. She probably tried really hard not to be sick. But still..."

Nick then heard knocking on the door.

"Nick, it's mom." It was Francine. "I'm coming in."

Francine opened the door and sees her son lying on the bed. Even with Nick not facing her, she can tell that Nick was really depressed. She walked over to Nick and sat beside him on the bed.

"Oh. My little baby boy is upset." Francine said to Nick.

"I'm not that upset, mom." Nick said. "I'm just..."

"Nick, it's okay to admit you're sad." Francine said. "I know how close the two of you have become. You know that they would have come if they could."

"I know." Nick said. "In fact, I was also expected us not to see each other as often as every week. I guess... I just didn't expect it to happen so soon."

As Nick sulked a bit more, Francine patted Nick's head a bit.

"Nick, I know it's hard since both you and Judy lived so far away from each other. But we all try to make your friendship work. Do you know why?" Francine asked.

"Why?" Nick asked as he looked at his mom.

"It because we want you to be happy." Francine said. "When you were spending time with Judy, your pop and I could tell how happy you were. The same could be said for Mr. and Mrs. Hopps with Judy. I got to say, I have never seen you happier than when you are with her. It's actually quite funny for a fox and a bunny to get along so well."

"Is that a bad thing?" Nick asked.

"Of course not." Francine said. "It shows that anyone, whether prey or predator, can get along. Even former natural enemies. The two of you have a very unique and special relationship. She wouldn't want you to feel sad, would she?"

"No. She wouldn't." Nick getting up a bit. "Maybe it's just because I'm a bit worried about her."

"Don't be. She's a tough little bunny." Francine said.

"I could have told you that." Nick said with a light smile.

"Hah. So, better?" Francine asked Nick.

"A little." Nick said.

"Good." Francine said happily. She then kissed Nick on his forehead and then got off of his bed. "Now, dinner's in an hour. Be sure to wash up before then."

"Yes, ma'am." Nick said.

Francine then left Nick's room. Nick rubbed his forehead on the spot where his mom kissed him. He then looked at his drawer, which had a few picture frames. One picture was with him and all his Zoo-Burrow Scouts friends wearing their uniforms. Another picture was of him and Judy, side by side and looking happy. Nick still couldn't help but think about Judy.

"You asked me when my mom kisses me, do I feel better and I usually do. But how come when you kissed me... it felt so different?" Nick thought.

The next day, down at Nick's family basement, Nick was having a Zoo-Burrow meeting with Benji, Finnick, Mervin, Falisha, Audren, Ronnie, and Flash. All of them had their uniforms on except Finnick. He only had the cap and the handkerchief, like he said he would. Nick was still a bit depressed.

"... And that's all for today." Nick said not too motivated. He was like this for the whole meeting.

"Uhhhh... Nick, are you sure you're okay?" Benji asked. "You have been acting weird all day."

"Aw! He's just being all depressed since bunny girl's sick and isn't coming today." Finnick stated.

"Ohhhhhhhh." Everyone else went.

"Nick also kinda 'likes' Judy." Benji stated.

"OHHHHHHHHHH!" Everyone else went now getting what Benji meant and smiling slyly.

"It's NOT like that." Nick said blushing a bit. "I mean... I am a bit down that she's not here, but it's not because I 'like' her that way. I'm just concern for my friend."

"Mmm hmm!" Finnick said, not believing him.

"Seriously, I am worried about her. She told me that she doesn't really get sick that often." Nick said.

"Bet she was sick the whole week and tried to hide it so she wouldn't skip going to school." Finnick said. "She looks like the type of mammal who goes to school no matter how sick she gets."

"That's what I'm worried about." Nick said.

"If you try to fight a cold, it usually ends up getting worse." Falisha stated.

"Also, you said that a few of her siblings were sick too." Mervin stated. "Does that include Cole and Conner?"

"Not sure." Nick said shrugging.

"Man, I guess bunnies catch the flu-like wildfire, eh?" Audran said.

"Yeah." Ronnie said.

"Should... we... do... something... for... Judy... and... her... brothers... and... sisters?" Flash asked slowly. "Like... make... a... get well... card?"

"Ehh. By the time we make something for her, she would probably already feel better." Finnick said. "She lives all the way in Bunnyburrow. So mailing something to her would be pointless."

"It's still a good gesture." Benji stated.

"Guys, it's okay." Nick said to everyone. "Judy, her mom, and everyone else will be fine. But I do wish I could know how Judy is doing."

"Here's a simple question. Why don't you just call her?" Finnick asked.

"Call her?" Nick said looking confused. Then his eyes widen as he realized that. "Call her! Of course! Why didn't I think about that? Dumb fox!" Nick said while knocking himself on the head lightly. "We have the Hopps' home number and everything."

"Uhh... no need to beat yourself up about it." Finnick said to Nick.

"I need to call her." Nick said. "Okay, everyone. Time to go." Nick said telling everyone it was time to leave.

"Wha... You're kicking us out?" Everyone shouted out

"I already said that's all for today." Nick stated with a smirk. "Now up everyone. Up up up! Go go go!" Nick then got everyone out of their chairs and pushed them up to stairs and out the door of the house and outside. "See ya guy!"

Nick then close the door on them before they could say anything. It should bother them a bit, but they got over it. But there was a question that came to mind.

"Quick question, does anyone think that Nick has a crush on Judy?" Mervin asked.

"Oh yeah. He does." Finnick and Benji said.

"He even called her his **girlfriend**." Benji said grinning slyly.

Nick then open the door with a flushed look on his face.

"WITH A SPACE IN THE MIDDLE!" Nick shouted out at them. He then closed the door on them again. Apparently, he heard what they said.

A few minutes later, Nick changed out of his scout uniform and back into his white shirt with red sleeves and blue jeans. He asked his parents for the Hopps number and they happily gave it to them. Nick went to the phone and typed the number. Now he just waited for someone to pick up. It took a few minutes and someone finally picks up.

"Hello?" Someone went. It sounded like a young girl. Very young.

"Is... this the Hopps's residents?" Nick asked. "This is Nick."

"Oh. Boy fox who's friends with big sister." The girl said.

"Yep. That's me." Nick said.

"I'm Amanda." The girl said.

"Amanda?" Nick said pondering what he knew. "If I remember, you're Judy's little sister who's 5."

"Yep!" Amanda said.

"So Amanda, do you mind putting you big sis on the phone?" Nick asked nicely.

"Okay." Amanda said.

Now Nick waited for someone to pick up. After a few seconds, someone picked up.

"Hello?" The person said.

"Judy?" Nick asked.

"No. This is Jenny." The girl answered.

"Jenny?" Nick questioned. "Oh right. One of Judy's sisters."

"Hold on. Is this that fox who's friends with my sister?" Jenny asked.

"This fox has a name." Nick stated.

"I know. You're Nick. Judy's always talking about you." Jenny said.

"Really?" Nick said looking a bit surprised.

"Of course. It's always Nick this and Nick that with her." Jenny stated. "You two must have a really good bond."

"I guess you can say that." Nick said scratching the tip of his nose. "Anyway, can I speak with her?"

"I don't know. Half of us are really sick." Jenny stated. "I was sick a few days ago and just got better."

"I still want to talk to her." Nick said.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do. Just give me a few." Jenny said.

Now Nick had to play the waiting game again. Once again, someone picked up.

"Hello?" The person went.

"Judy?" Nick asked.

"Jessie." The person answered.

"Jessie. Another J." Nick said a little disappointed it wasn't Judy.

"Oh hey, Nick." Jessie said knowing who Nick was. "You do remember me, right?"

"Yeah, from the Hopps first trip to Zootopia." Nick said.

"Right! Wow! You got a good memory." Jessie stated.

"I try my best to remember everyone I meet." Nick stated proudly. "Anyway, can I please speak to Judy?"

"Have you SEEN how big our house is?" Jessie asked. "We also only have one phone and nearly half of us are sick. So it's _gonna_ take a while."

"It's fine. I can wait." Nick stated.

"Alright. But don't be surprised if someone else picks up." Jessie told Nick.

Once again, Nick played the waiting game, hoping Judy would pick up this time. The next person to speak to Nick was a boy.

"Hello?" The boy went.

"Unless that cold affected your voice, I'm assuming you're not Judy." Nick said.

"Nope. Jordan." The boy answered.

"Seriously? Another J." Nick said.

"Nick, right? Listen, dude. There are only 26 letters in the alphabet and 276 of us. How many of us did you think had J in our names?" Jordan asked.

"If... I remember right from the list Judy gave me... 47?" Nick asked.

"That's... actually right. I think." Jordan said. "I'm not so sure. There IS 276 of us after all."

"Is that Nick? Let me talk to him." A voice from the back said. It didn't sound like Judy.

Then someone else took the phone to speak with Nick.

"Nick! What's up? It's me, Greg." The boy said.

"Greg? Well at you least you're not another J that's not Judy." Nick said. "But seriously, where's Judy?"

"First off, I'm fine... and not sick. Thanks for your concern." Greg said sounding a little upset. "Good to know where our friendship stands."

"No. I'm sorry. Let me start over." Nick said not meaning to sound blunt. "Hey, Greg! How are you doing?"

"Great!" Greg said. "Which is the least I can say about everyone else."

"Is everyone really that sick?" Nick asked.

"More or less." Greg said. "I'm surprised I haven't caught anything yet."

"Mrs. Hopps is sick too, right?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. Dad's in a bit of a panic since she's pregnant, but the doctor said she should be fine." Greg said.

"That's good news." Nick said.

"Not good enough for dad. He's also having to do most of the work today and take care of the ones who are sick." Greg said. "A few of us are helping out, but that doesn't mean we like it."

"What did you expect? Everyone has to pitch in to help out." Nick stated.

"I know, but it's a drag." Greg said. "Oh. By the way, we just got Zoo Fighter Sigma 3 at the house."

"WAIT?! SIGMA 3?!" Nick shouted out surprised. "No way!"

"It's awesome. You to come to our house sometime so we can play it all day." Greg said.

"Sounds good to me." Nick said.

Then someone was behind Greg wanted to talk to Nick.

"Oh. Looks like the lady of the hour is finally here." Greg said. "I'll let you speak to her. Talk to ya more later."

Lady of the hour? Was he referring to Judy? When the person spoke, she had a bit of a raspy voice.

"Hello?" The bunny said.

"Carrots, is that you?" Nick asked.

"Nick? Yeah. *sniff* It's me." It really was Judy this time. She was sick, but it was her.

"Aw man. I hope you don't look as horrible as you sound." Nick said.

"Sadly, I think I actually look worst now." Judy admitted. "*sniff* Nick, I'm so sorry for getting sick. I tried to fight it so I could still visit you, but it seems like it was a losing battle."

"It's okay. I'm just glad that you're okay. Well... okay enough." Nick said.

"Thanks. *sniff* Since so much of us are sick, dad made us all some soup to help us feel better." Judy said.

"Carrot soup?" Nick asked curiously.

"Vegetable soup." Judy said firmly. "You know us bunnies eat more than just carrots."

"What's in the vegetable soup?" Nick asked sounding a bit sly.

"You know... tomatoes, leeks, cabbage..." Judy said.

"And?" Nick said waiting to hear the next ingredient.

"*sigh* Carrots." Judy admitted.

"Ha. Knew it." Nick said in his sly matter. "You bunnies and carrots."

Judy wanted to come up with a response to Nick's comment, but decided not to since most things about bunnies and their love for carrots was true.

"So... how are things?" Judy asked.

"Great. We just finished our Zoo-Burrow Scouts meeting." Nick said. "Everyone hopes that you and the others get well soon."

"That's nice of them." Judy said. "Give them my... *cough*... thanks."

"I will." Nick said."Oh. By the way, guess what?" Nick asked.

"What?" Judy asked wanting to know.

"The store has been doing so well now, we were able to pay ALL of our bills." Nick said happily.

"That's really good news." Judy said happily.

"Best part is... that we are no longer poor. We are officially middle-class, baby." Nick said proudly. "Look out world, the Wildes are coming on top."

"Hehehe! *cough*Sounds like you are having quite an ego." Judy said.

"Hey! After everything I been through, I think I deserve to have a bit of ego." Nick stated.

"Fair enough." Judy said. "Nick, I feel like I should ask. How are... **they** doing?"

"Are you talking about the former Junior Ranger Scouts, Chuck, Darwin, Phillip, Wilfred, and Ed? Well... here's the thing." Nick said before explaining what happened. "See... when they told their scoutmaster what they did, he told their parents. Then their parents went to the other parents. Including my parents."

"Oh boy." Judy said sounding concern.

"Oh boy is right." Nick said. "If you thought we scared them straight, you should have heard what mom and pop said to them. Mom and Pop yelled at them for several minutes and they just took it. Pop was mad, but mom... well... did you know that fox mothers are super protective of their kits?"

"No." Judy answered.

"Fox mothers are super protective of their kits." Nick said. "Mom shouted out at them for over 20 minutes. She said things that I don't want to repeat. The five of them broke down in tears."

"Oh dear." Judy said sounding worried.

"Yeah... moms can be scary." Nick said. "After a while, I felt sorry for them so I jumped in. I told mom and pop that I forgave them and then the folks went back to being their normal happy selves. But mom did say to them, ' _Don't do it again. Just don't.'."_

"Scarred for life?" Judy asked.

"Scarred for life." Nick answered. "As a further punishment, they have to help clean the shop everyday after school for a month. Also since I still got them on probation, they aren't allowed to do any Zoo-Burrow activities or wear their uniforms again til I say so. They... actually seem okay with it."

"Guess they really want to change." Judy said.

"It's still gonna be a long while before I can trust any of them." Nick said. "The same can be said for everyone else."

"My brothers STILL want to tie them up." Judy said.

"Yeah. So how are things for you in Bunnyburrow? Other than the fact that you're sick." Nick asked.

"Okay. School is still the same. The town is still the same. Everything is still the same." Judy said.

"How's Gid?" Nick asked wanting to know how Gideon is doing.

"Gideon's doing fine. Still not bullying anymore." Judy said. "It is still hard for him to get along with everyone else, but some are finally getting the time to know him better."

"That's good to hear." Nick said.

"Uh huh. *sniff* Gideon's like a totally different person now." Judy stated. "The two of us have been hanging out quite a bit lately. I've even been to his house and got to try his blueberry pie."

Nick then paused the second Judy mentioned blueberry pie. Nick stated before that he wanted to try Gideon's blueberry pie before.

"You... you tried his blueberry pie?" Nick said quivering a bit.

"Yeah. It was really good." Judy said happily. "He really is a good baker. He's been such a nice guy now."

"That's... great." Nick said not sounding too happy.

Deep down inside of Nick, he started to have a bit of a boiling feeling.

"What's this feeling I'm getting right now? Like I'm sort of my mad at Gideon, but not totally mad at him." Nick thought. "Blueberry pie. She had his blueberry pie."

"Nick, are you okay?" Judy asked sounding concern. " You haven't said anything for a while."

"Oh. Sorry." Nick said snapping out of it. "I was just in thoughts for a bit."

"If you say so." Judy said. As soon as she said that, she was started to sneezing again. "Ah... ah... oh no. Ah... here comes a sneeze. Ah... ah..." Then instead of a loud sneeze, it was a tiny and quiet sneeze. "... choo!"

"Was... was that your sneeze?" Nick asked sounding a bit surprised.

"*sigh* Yes." Judy admitted.

"Oh my god! Your sneeze was so..." Nick said happily but was cut off by Judy.

"Nick, if you say cute OR adorable... I WILL hang up." Judy said angrily.

"... precious." Nick said.

Judy still didn't seem to happy to hear that.

"You always have to come up with a loophole, do you?" Judy said sounding mad.

"You know me soooooo well." Nick said slyly. "All 'precious' sneezes aside, are you sure you still want to talk? Cause if you are still too sick, I..."

"No. No. I'm sick, but I still really want to talk to you some more." Judy said. "That is if it's fine with you."

"Sure, if you really want to." Nick said.

"Great!" Judy said happily.

Nick and Judy would continue to talk for a whole hour. They talked about their schools, how they were doing, their parents' businesses, and about other things they should do with their friends at the Zoo-Burrow Scouts. But one thing that Judy really wanted to talk to Nick about was visiting Bunnyburrow again.

"Nick, you got to come visit Bunnyburrow sometime." Judy said. "I know it's nowhere near as great as Zootopia, but I'm sure we can still have a good time. Also, you still need to meet a few of my other brothers and sisters." Judy said.

"Pretty sure 'few' is an understatement." Nick stated. "Still trying to remember everyone from the pictures and list you gave me. It's long but helpful."

"Not gonna lie. That list took forever." Judy stated.

"No surprise there." Nick said. "Okay, I think we've talked long enough. You're still sick so I don't want to keep you from resting up."

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm a tough bunny." Judy stated.

"I already knew that." Nick said happily.

The two laughed happily on the phones.

"Seriously, get better." Nick said boldly. "If you are still sick on Monday and have to miss school, just deal with it. Perfect attendance isn't worth it if you're as sick as a dog."

"Then I'll just be sure to get better by then." Judy said confidently.

"Well then, all I can do is hope that you do." Nick said. "Alright, I think this fox has kept you from getting rest long enough. I'll talk to you more when you're better, okay?"

"Okay." Judy said. "Oh... and Nick?"

"Yes." Nick asked sounding curious.

"Thank you for calling." Judy said happily.

"Thank you for listening." Nick said smiling.

"See ya." Judy said.

"See ya." Nick said.

Nick then hung up the phone. He was happy to talk to Judy but still had a weird feeling in his chest. It was something about when Judy mention Gideon. Since he had no idea what these feelings were, he went to the one person who could help him. His dad. His parents were in the living room. Francine was on the couch doing some sewing, while John was reading a newspaper on his recliner chair. He walked into the living room.

"Pop, I want to ask you something." Nick said to his dad.

"What is it, Slick?" John asked while still reading his newspaper.

"I had another one of those weird feelings again." Nick said.

At that moment, John immediately stopped reading his newspaper, quickly folded it and put down to the ground.

"FRANKIE, DO SOMETHING!" John shouted out to his wife.

"Do what?" Francine asked.

"Our son is growing up too fast and I don't like it." John stated.

"Hmph! If it bothers you that much, we COULD have another baby." Francine said with her paws around her hips.

"There is no time for that." John said sounding a bit freaked out and trying to avoid the subject. "Can't you see that our one-and-only son needs to talk to his dad?"

"Sure. I'll be in our room." Francine said not sounding amused.

Francine then left the living room, leaving Nick and John to themselves.

"Alright Slick, you know the drill." John said as he patted on his lap.

Nick then walked over to John and sat on his lap like he usually does.

"Now, what's the feeling you have this time?" John asked.

"Well, it was different from the last one." Nick said "Instead of bubbling, it was more of boiling. It was kinda like I was mad but not totally mad

"Oh boy. Sounds like you have a small case of jealousy." John said.

"Jealousy?" Nick asked while tilting his head.

"You know, when you feel kinda mad at someone for something they had and something you don't." John explained.

"So that's what it is." Nick said. "How you ever felt jealous, pop?"

"I would be lying if I said I didn't." John said honestly. "Even I have my share of jealousy over the years. Do you know how many guys stared at your mother when we were dating in high school? I had to hold myself from going nuts. I was really into your mom then."

"Wow. I didn't know you were like that, pop." Nick stated.

"Well, I love your mom. Sometimes you fight for the one you love... even if it's against 100 or so other guys." John said.

"100 or so other guys? Guessing mom was popular in high school." Nick thought. "So does this mean... I feel jealous... at Gideon? I mean, why would I feel jealous of Gideon? He doesn't like Judy. Right?"

"Uhhh... you okay Slick?" John asked noticing Nick zoning out.

"Huh?" Nick said getting out of his thoughts.

"So why did you asked me this?" John asked.

"I... uh..." Nick didn't want to tell his dad he might be jealous of Gideon. So he told him something else. "Judy... got to try Gideon's blueberry pie... and you know how much I love blueberry pie."

"Oh. Well then I don't blame you." John said. "You know that your old man here enjoys a good blueberry pie, himself."

"But what should I do about jealousy." Nick asked.

"Honestly, the only thing I can tell you is to try not to let it take you over. A lot of bad things can happen to you if you stay the jealous type." John said.

"Alright." Nick said nodding.

Nick was still a bit unsure how he felt, but understood jealousy a bit better. He doesn't know if he should even feel jealous. Their relationship has always been good. Besides, he trusts Gideon. He has no reason not to. At that moment, Francine called out from their bedroom.

"Ohhhhh Jooohhhhhnnnyy?" Francine shouted out in a singing matter.

"Pop, mom's calling you." Nick said to his dad.

"Oh jeez! She's in a mood." John said.

"What does that mean?" Nick asked.

"Oh! Nothing!" John said frantically. "Anyway, you know those times when mommy and daddy want to spend time alone with each other? This is one of those time." John then lifted Nick off his lap and put him down standing on the ground. He then got off of his chair and dig into his pants pocket and got out his wallet. "So... how about you spend some time at the arcade for an hour?"

"Jooohhhhhnnnnyyy?" Francine shouted out again in a singing matter.

"Two hours." John said to his son before giving him 2 $10 bills. "Get yourself a slice of pizza too."

Nick looks at the money and is a little surprised.

"Pop, this is 20 bucks! Are you sure this is okay?" Nick asked looking a bit concern.

"Nick, the store has been doing well and we pay off all our bills. We're fine." John said before shooing him away. "Now go go go. Go and enjoy your youth."

"Okay?" Nick said to his dad still looking a bit concern.

So Nick did as his father said and left the house. As he walked out the door, he thought of some stuff.

"Is that how everyone felt when I shoved them away?" Nick thought. "What do parents even do when they send their kids away? House dating?"

Nick was too young to know what parents... "do" in their free time nor should he find out. Nick just shrugged and didn't worried about it.

"The arcade does sound good to me anyway." Nick said to himself.

So Nick started to run to Downtown's Arcade. The local arcade in Downtown Zootopia was known as The Marsh Pit. Several kids, teenagers, and adults come here to play tons of different games. The best part was that the games came in all different kinds of and all shapes and sizes. From tiny mouse players to tall giraffes. To classic 8-bit games, to the newest 3D graphics games. The Marsh Pit had it all. Two kids that just happen to be in the arcade were Finnick and Mervin. Mervin was wearing a black hoodie with tan cargo pants and Finnick wearing a red shirt over a long sleeve white shirt, and blue jeans. The two were playing the arcade version of Zoo Fighter Sigma 3. Finnick needed a stepping stool, but it didn't seem to stop him from winning.

"K...O!" The game announcer went.

"HA! Beat ya again!" Finnick said smugly.

"Ugh! How is a little guy so good at this game?" Mervin asked.

"Where do you think little guys go to dish out their anger?" Finnick asked slyly. "I wasn't planning to lose at this game."

"I call next game." Someone said placing a token in front of the game between Melvin and Finnick.

The two turn around to see it was Nick with a wide smirk on his face.

"Nick!" Finnick and Melvin said happily.

"Hey, guys." Nick said to them.

"Looks like you got your mojo back." Melvin said.

"Guessing things with you and bunny girl worked out." Finnick said.

"Yeah. She was sick, but she's getting better." Nick said. "After I was done talking to her, I decided to show you guys a thing or two here at the Marsh Pit."

"Hmph! So you think you beat me?" Finnick said glaring at Nick in a competitive way.

"I don't think. I know." Nick said confidently.

"Alright then. Show me what you got." Finnick said.

"I will." Nick said.

Nick then put his token into the machine and was ready to play. Even without Judy's weekly visit, Nick was okay. At least he got to talk to her and that was good enough for her. Nick didn't know if there will be more days that they won't see each other, but he knows that the two of them will be fine. Because what his mom said to him was true. The two of them had a unique and special friendship.

 **That's all for this chapter. See what things will be in store next time. The next part is gonna be a 4 parter, so it's gonna be a good one. Until then.**


	14. Chapter 13: WWATB Part 1

**Welcome to chapter 13. The first part of this four-parter. I hope that you will all be excited to this part. For this chapter, Nick and his family will return to Bunnyburrow to stay with the Hopps for the weekend. This will also be the chapter where Nick gets to meet more of Judy's siblings for the first time. I really wanted to do chapters that take place in Bunnyburrow again, because I didn't want to put too much focus on Zootopia being the only main place. So, how with the first day go for Nick's visit? Let's find out. Here's part 1 of "Wilde weekend at the Burrows."**

* * *

It was a Friday afternoon in Zootopia. But school was still going on. This included Nick's school. Nick was still in his class, sitting on his desk with 20 or so other kits and his armadillo teacher. Nick looked up at the clock, waiting for 3 o'clock to hit. The clock was at 2:58. Then 2:59.

"Come on, clock. Why are you moving so slow?" Nick thought weeping a bit.

Nick was really excited for this weekend. It was gonna visit Judy at Bunnyburrow and stay with the Hopps for the weekend. He's been holding his excitement for days. Now he just had to wait for the bell. His teacher, Ms. Rollah, was still talking to the kids.

"Now remember kids, you can enjoy your weekend, but be sure to do your homework for Monday." Ms. Rollah said. "It will help you get ready for your test in 2 weeks."

"Yes, Ms. Rollah." All the kits shouted.

At that moment, the bell finally rang.

"Class dismiss." Ms. Rollah said to her class.

"Finally!" Nick thought happily.

All the kits got out of their desks and grabbed their backpacks and started walking out the door. Nick was gonna do the same, but as he was about to walk out the door, his teacher called him.

"Nicholas? A moment, if you would?" Ms. Rollah asked.

"Uhh... yes ma'am." Nick said halting and walking towards her teacher's desk.

"There is something I wanted to discuss with you." Ms. Rollah said.

"Aww man! Am I in trouble?" Nick asked looking worried that he did something wrong. "Cause I didn't do anything wrong. I swear!"

"No no. You did nothing wrong." Ms. Rollah said.

"Then what did you called me for?" Nick asked looking concern.

"I just wanted to say that you have been doing a really good job in class lately." Ms. Rollah said with a smile.

"Re... really?" Nick said looking surprised.

"Uh huh. You did really well on your last assignments. As and Bs in all of them." Ms. Rollah stated. "And most recently... this."

Ms. Rollah then went to her desk and took out a test paper. She then gave it to Nick. It was Nick's last math test and it had a big 100 written in red pen on it. Nick's eyes widen when he saw that.

"I MADE A 100?!" Nick shouted out surprised.

"Highest grade in the class." Ms. Rollah said.

"Alright! Yeah! Yeah!" Nick said happily jumping up and down.

"Nick, you made such an improvement in such a short time. Can I asked what made this change?" Ms. Rollah asked.

"Well..." Nick said as he stops jumping. "I made a friend named Judy from Bunnyburrow a few months ago. She visits every week here at Zootopia and the two of us have become really good friends. She... kinda inspired me to do better."

"Oh. She sounds like a really nice young lady." Ms. Rollah said.

"She is." Nick said nodding. "So... can I go now? I... kinda have plans for this weekend."

"Of course. Don't let me keep you here." Ms. Rollah said with a smile.

"Thank you." Nick said happily. He then held up his test paper. "This is SOOO going on the fridge."

With that said, Nick put the test in his backpack and was on his way out the classroom. He was pretty happy so he strutted a bit as he walked down the halls. Life has been going pretty well for him now. But as happy as he was, someone wanted his attention... and not in a good way.

"Hey, Wilde." The voice from behind him shouted out.

"Hmm?" Nick said as he turned around.

He turned around to see who it was. It was a black male coyote, who was a little taller than Nick, but around his age. He wore a black jacket over a white shirt and blue jeans. Beside him were 2 boy weasels. One white and one brown. All of them had sly grins on their faces.

"Well... well. It's a good thing I ran into you." The coyote said.

"Oh... hey Darson." Nick said unamused.

Darson Coynac was a school bully that is in the same class as Nick. He wasn't only Nick's bully, but a bully to other kids as well. The two weasels by his were his goons. Nick wasn't too fond of Darson. He was always a joke to him. To everybody. So when Nick saw him, he knew something was up.

"So, word around school is that you're pretty smart now. Even made a 100 on the last test." Darson said to Nick.

"How did you..." Nick looked stunned that Darson knew that. He then looked at the grins on the weasels. Nick assumed that Darson's weasel buddies were listening to Nick's conversation with his teacher. "Nevermind." Nick said with a mad look on his face.

"Today is your lucky day." Darson said smiling.

"Why is that?" Nick asked.

"Cause I'm deciding to let you do my homework for me." Darson said.

"Oh golly! That sound so thoughtful." Nick said with enthusiastic sarcasm. "But I'll think I'll pass. Now, if you would excuse me..."

Nick then walked away from them. Seems that Darson and his boys weren't too happy about that. Darson then ran in front of Nick and halted him.

"You probably heard me wrong. I'm TELLING you to do my homework." Darson said sounding serious.

Nick wasn't fazed by Darson. After standing up to Gideon twice and the Junior Ranger Scouts, Nick was pretty fearless now when it came to bullies.

"And I'm TELLING you no." Nick said firmly. "Do your own homework."

"I don't want to. I want YOU to do it." Darson said growling a bit.

"Maybe if you ask nicely, I might GIVE you tips on the homework... after the weekend." Nick said to Darson.

"That's too late." Darson said.

"Then you are on your own. So how about ACTUALLY studying?" Nick said.

Nick then walked around Darson and was on his way. Darson was really starting to get mad at Nick. He got in front of him again, grabbed him and pushed him to a wall.

"I'm really starting to hate that smart mouth of yours." Darson said angrily.

"Hmm. Funny. I thought 'smart' is the reason why you stopped me." Nick said smiling slyly while still acting smart.

"Grrr... You better start making good and agree to do my homework... or else." Darson threatened.

"Threat me all you want. You don't scare me, Darson." Nick said similar to Judy at Gideon.

"Then let's change that." Darson said getting out his claws.

"HEY! LEAVE NICK ALONE!" Someone shouted out.

Nick, Darson, and the two weasels looked around to see who it was. It was a chubby cheetah, wearing a green polo shirt and tan colored pants. It was Benji, not liking seeing his friend get bullied.

"Ben!" Nick shouted out happy to see him.

"Back off, Tubbs. This ain't your problem." Darson said to Benji.

"If you are messing with my friend, then it IS my problem." Benji said firmly.

"Hmpt! You're REALLY friends with a fox?" Darson asked. "Are you sure that you can even trust him?"

"Of course I do." Benji said.

"And he's not the only one." Someone else went.

Everyone looked and see that it was Mervin and Falisha. The two were closing in on Darson and his weasel pals.

"Nick's already earned our trust." Mervin stated.

"Which is the least we can say for someone who's just a bully." Falisha said.

Then Audran and Ronnie came by as well to defend their friend.

"If you're gonna mess with Nick..." Audran said.

"... then you're messing with us." Ronnie said as he crosses his arms. "ALL of us."

Now that Nick had all his friends to help him out, Darson and weasels were all starting to get really scared for themselves.

"No one said that Nick had **these** many friends." The white weasel said scared.

"Let's get out of here." The brown weasel said frightened.

The two weasels then made a run for it.

"Hey! Get back here you two." Darson shouted out.

"Well... it looks like you are all alone." Benji stated.

"The next move is yours, Darson." Mervin stated.

Darson knew he didn't stand a chance against all of them. So he backs down and let go of Nick.

"Consider yourself lucky this time, Wilde." Darson said not liking the taste of defeat.

Darson then walked off.

"And cue me sticking my tongue at him." Nick said before sticking his tongue out at Darson as he walks away.

"*sigh* Do you foxes always get yourselves into situations like that?" Mervin asked Nick.

"What? I totally had everything under control." Nick said as he gives Mervin some paw. "But thanks for showing up."

"No problem. We'll add it to the list." Ronnie said smirking.

"Haha!" Nick chuckled. He then looks behind everyone else and notices someone walking reeeeally slow behind them. It was Flash about 40 ft away from everyone. "Is that Flash?"

"Well there's no sloth that runs that _fast,_ but him." Falisha said joking a bit.

" Pssttt.. hahaha!" Mervin chuckled a bit.

"Let's save him the trouble and walk to him." Nick told everyone.

"Let's." Benji, Mervin, Falisha, Audren, and Ronnie said agreeing with Nick.

The kits all walked to Flash and circle around him. Flash stopped "running".

"Nick, ... are... you... okay?" Flash asked.

"I'm fine. Thanks for your concern." Nick said to Flash with a smile.

"It's... no... problem... at... all." Flash said happily.

"If we let him walk by himself, he won't be home til nightfall." Audran said.

"I got you, buddy." Benji said lifting Flash up and carrying him on his back.

"Thank... you... Ben." Flash said to Benji.

"Seriously, all you guys didn't have to help me out." Nick told them.

"Uhh... wrong. Of course we had to." Mervin said.

"That's what friends are for, right?" Benji said.

Nick's eyes widen when he heard Ben say that. While Nick knew that they were all his friends, this was the first time he realized that he had so many friends now. It made him grin very widely. The kits then started walking down the hallway as they talked.

"So Nick, what are we gonna be doing for the Zoo-Burrow Scouts this week?" Mervin asked.

"No meeting this week, guys." Nick said. "My parents and I are going to Bunnyburrow to spend the weekend at Judy's. It's the first time I went to Bunnyburrow since reuniting with Judy and becoming friends with her."

"Hold on. A family of foxes... is spending the weekend with... a family of bunnies?" Mervin asked. He then broke into laughter again. "Hahahaha! That's something that you don't hear ever."

"Ha ha. I get it. Rabbits and Foxes. Natural Enemies." Nick stated.

"He didn't mean it like that." Falisha said.

"He just means that your friendship with Judy is a little different from most." Benji said.

"Like I told you before, I didn't expect to be such good friends with a rabbit either. But you know, the past was the past." Nick said. "Still... I am a little nervous. When I first went to Judy's house, it was for less than an hour. Now I'm spending the weekend there. Not to mention, I will be meeting **all** of her siblings."

"You haven't met them all yet? How many brothers and sisters does Judy have?" Benji asked.

"275." Nick stated.

"WHAT?!" Everyone else shouted out shocked.

"Geez! And I thought having five older brothers and one baby sister was too much." Mervin stated.

"I didn't even know bunny families could be that big." Ronnie said.

"Isn't most bunny families in the city as high as 30? If not lesser?" Audran asked. "Guess bunny families out in the country are much bigger, eh?"

"And isn't Mrs. Hopps pregnant now? That means that they actually want to add more to the already ridiculously number." Falisha stated.

"Guys, I already discussed most of this to Judy. So we don't need to talk about Judy's huge family and her parents not know when to stop having kits." Nick said to everyone.

"Right. Right." Benji said. "So... you said you only met a few of her brothers and sisters?"

"Yeah. I only met around 124 of them. So by this weekend, I want them all to know me." Nick said. "I hope they all don't think I'm some shifty fox that shouldn't be friends with their sister."

"What's this? Is Nick Wilde actually worried?" Ronnie asked with a smirk.

"Nah. I'm not worried. I do have my 'fox charm' after all." Nick said confidently. "I'm more than positive everyone will like me."

The kits all make it to the door and went outside of the school.

"Well, we all hope things work out well for you this weekend." Audran said.

"Thanks." Nick said smiling.

Nick and the others then started to hear the honking of a car horn. The honking was from a blue car, which just happens to be Nick's parents' car.

"Oh! There are my folks." Nick said waving at his mom and dad. "Alright guys, got to get going."

"Take care, Nick." Falisha said.

"Say hi to Judy for us." Benji said.

"Will do." Nick said as he waves goodbye to his friends and runs to his family car. Nick then opens the door on the car and steps in. John was in the driver's seat, while Francine was riding shotgun. "Hey, mom! Hey, pop!"

"Hey, Nicky." Francine said in a happy matter.

"How was school?" John asked.

"Awesome." Nick said happily. He then goes into his backpack and takes out his test to show his parents. "Check out what I got on my last test."

"A 100? Frankie, our boy's a little genius." John said proudly. "This is definitely going on the fridge when we get home."

"Nick, we already put your suitcase in the car. Did you pack everything?" Francine asked.

"Uh huh. Double checked before I left this morning." Nick said.

"If everything is settled, then let's be off." John said.

"To Bunnyburrow." Nick, John, and Francine said happily.

With that said, John put the car in drive and the Wildes made their way to Bunnyburrow. Driving out the city and down the road. After 200 miles of driving down a long road, the Wildes made it to Bunnyburrow. After a few more minutes of driving, they made it to the Hopps house. They got their bags from the back of the car and went over to their door, then knocked on it three times. The one who opens the door was Bonnie with a noticeable baby bump since she was pregnant.

"Oh. John, Frankie, and Nick. You're all here." Bonnie said with a smile.

"Hey, Mrs. Hopps." Nick said.

"Hey, Bonnie." Francine said.

"Thank you for inviting us to stay." John said with a smile.

"No problem. Now come on in." Bonnie said wanting them to come in.

So the Wildes finally came inside the house. Nick forgot how big the house was. But to have 278 residents, it had to be big. Nick was also curious about something else.

"Mrs. Hopps, did you thought of any names for the new babies yet?" Nick asked. "Cause you should consider the name Nicholas for a boy and Nicole for a girl."

"Heehee! I haven't really come up with names yet, but I'll keep yours in mind." Bonnie said smiling.

"Now Bonnie, you sure it won't be too much trouble for us to spend the weekend here?" John asked.

"Of course not." Bonnie said firmly. "If we have room for an army of bunnies, I pretty sure we have room for 3 foxes. Which reminds me... KIDS! The Wildes are here!"

As Bonnie said that, the house started to shake a bit. Kinda made it feel like there was an earthquake. Little bunnies, AKA all of Judy's siblings came over from the halls and stairs to greet the foxes.

"Hello!"

"Hey!"

"Hi there."

"Hey Mr. and Mrs. Wilde."

"What's up, Nick?"

As much bunnies as there were, Nick noticed that a certain bunny was missing.

"Umm... where's Judy? I don't see her... or smell her." Nick said to Bonnie.

"Judy is running a few errands with her dad." Bonnie said. "Don't worry. She'll be back soon."

"Okay." Nick said willing to wait.

"Now John and Frankie, you can have one of our guest rooms and Nick, you'll have to bunk with some of Judy's brothers. I hope that's okay." Bonnie said.

"It's fine. I don't mind. I never had roommates before." Nick stated. "Who am I bunking up with?"

"Yo Nick!" A voice shouted out.

Nick looks to see who called him. It was Greg, along with Eric, Cole, and Conner. The four bunnies walk toward Nick.

"Nick, good to see you." Eric said happily.

"Let me guess. You guys are all my roommates?" Nick asked with a smirk.

"You know it." Greg said with a wink and gun.

"We convinced mom and dad for you to bunk with us." Cole said.

"We even got our game system set up to one of the TVs in the media room." Conner said.

"So we can play Zoo Fighter Sigma 3 all day like you promised?" Nick asked starting to look excited.

"You know it." Greg said happily.

"Let's go now." Nick said super excited.

"Let's." Greg said.

The kits then were all about to dash off.

"HOLD IT, BOYS!" Bonnie shouted. The boys all froze in motion for a second and then turned back to look at Bonnie. "First things first. Boys, take Nick to your room so he can put up his bags and then show him around the house."

"Alright." Greg, Eric, Cole, and Conner said.

"Come with us, Nick." Eric said.

"Okay. I'm right behind you." Nick said as he gets his suitcase and bagpack and starts following the four rabbits.

Judy's brothers began giving Nick a tour of the house. While walking down one of the halls, the boys decided to tell Nick about the house.

"Now I know our place might be a little overwhelming for you and your parents." Greg said.

"The word 'little' is an understatement." Nick said. "Seriously, I never knew that bunnies here had such big homes. How do you not get lost or not lose someone around here?"

"Not gonna lie, it hard to know where each of us are most of the time since there is so many rooms. As for getting lost, we all lived here all our lives. So we all know our ways in and out." Greg said.

"So... what floors are what?" Nick asked.

"You already know how many floors we have, right?" Conner asked.

"If I was looking right... about 4 floors?" Nick said thinking about it.

"Right." Cole said. "The first floor has most things like the living room, media room, kitchen, main hall, dining hall, storage room, mom and dad's bedroom, the baby room, and some a few bedrooms."

"Floors 2, 3, and 4 are all floors with bedrooms." Eric said. "There are also bathrooms in each floor."

"So the majority of the rooms in the house are bedrooms. Like a dormitory at an boarding school or college." Nick stated.

"Correct." Greg said.

As the kids walked down the hall, Nick stopped walking when he notice a door had a sign that said "Baby Room" on it.

"Guys, you mention something about a 'baby room', right? Is this it?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. This is the room where all our baby brothers and sisters sleep." Eric said.

"It's also the room for any of the new babies born." Cole said.

"You... actually have a room like that?" Nick asked a little curious.

"It's common for most big bunny families." Conner stated.

"Do you want to go in and see our baby sibs?" Greg asked.

"Uhh... is it really okay?" Nick said looking a little nervous. A young fox in a room for of baby bunnies isn't something... common.

"It's fine. Go ahead." Greg said. "We'll wait for you here. One of our big sisters should be in there taken care of some of them. Go on and meet her."

"If you say so." Nick said putting his bags down.

So Nick opens the door and looks inside the room. He notice the room had sky blue wallpaper and a bunch of cribs. Most of them had babies on them. Also in the room was a light brown girl bunny wearing a long sleeve light blue shirt with and a white skirt holding one of the babies. She looked around 15 and slightly taller than Nick. The baby was light grey and seemed to be a little fussy.

"Now now! Calm down. You need to nap, otherwise you'll stay cranky." The girl bunny said to the baby bunny.

"Umm... hello?" Nick said making his presence noticeable. The girl bunny hears Nick and turns around to face him.

"Oh. Hello. You must be that little fox boy, Nick." The girl bunny said.

"Umm..." Nick pondered trying to remember who this bunny was. "You're Gwendolyn, right?"

"You guessed right. I'm Gwendolyn." The girl bunny replied. "But please, call me Gwen."

"Okay... Gwen." Nick said as he comes into the room more. "Wowwee... There sure are a bunch of little baby bunnies here." Nick was still a bit nervous, but waved at some of the babies. "Hi babies... I'm Nick... I'm a fox. Probably the first fox you all have ever seen. Pretty big deal, right? Heh... heh..."

"You seem nervous." Gwen said to Nick.

"A little bit." Nick admitted.

"Don't be. From what Judy and the others told me, you're a really nice fox." Gwen said.

"Yeah I am. But can you honestly say this isn't the first time you see a fox in a room full of baby bunnies?" Nick asked.

"Nope. Can't say I have." Gwen said. "You would be the first."

"Thought as much." Nick said. "So Gwen, what are you doing here exactly?"

"Well you can't expect mom and dad to take care of ALL of us by themselves. A few of us older kids help them out a bit." Gwen said. "Since I'm one of the first born, I've been taking care of some of my little brothers and sisters since I was little. These days I like to help with the new babies so mom and dad don't lose sleep."

Nick then started to count all the babies in the room.

"... 11... 12... 13... including the little one you're carrying right now, I count 14 babies in this room." Nick stated.

"Uh huh. All the youngest kits that aren't babies are at least 3. Everyone here is about 1 year old and a few months." Gwen stated. "The little one I'm holding right now is Hailey. The last one born in the litter."

"Awww! Isn't she precious?" Nick said aweing the little baby bunny.

"Do you want to hold her?" Gwen asked.

"WHAT?" Nick shouted as he quickly toke a few steps back. "Ho... hold her? No thanks!" Nick said frantically.

"What's wrong?" Gwen asked confused why Nick's acting so weird.

"Look, a fox being friends with a bunny is one thing. A fox in a room full of baby bunnies is another thing. But a little fox HOLDING a baby bunny?! That's got to be breaking some law, right?" Nick said looking scared.

"Hmmmm..." Gwen pondered with a sly smile on her face. "So let me get this straight. Us bunnies have been afraid of foxes for nothing... while foxes are afraid a little tiny baby bunny? This will be something funny to tell the others."

Nick had a slightly mad look on his face. He didn't enjoy Gwen's comment.

"You know people don't think a bunny can be as sly as a fox. Bunnies like you and Judy prove them wrong." Nick stated. "*sigh* Alright. Let me hold her."

Nick then walks back to Gwen and holds out his arms to hold baby Hailey.

"Just promise me, if she cries even for a second, you got to take her back." Nick said to Gwen.

"Mm hmm." Gwen said nodding as she slowly gave Hailey to Nick.

Nick was now holding baby Hailey. He was being really careful not to drop her or anything. But he was still super nervous.

"Careful. Babies can sense fear." Gwen warned Nick.

"You tell me that NOW?" Nick shouted quietly. "Okay. Okay. Hey Hailey. Nice to meet you. Please don't be scare of me."

Hailey looked at the Nick. She was a bit confused seeing the fox, but was also being a bit fussy again.

"Ahh... ahh..." Hailey said looking like she was about to cry.

"Oh no! She gonna cry!" Nick said scared. "You better take her back."

"No. No. It's okay." Gwen said. "Just remind calm."

"O... kay." Nick said still nervous. He started to lightly rocked Hailey in his arms. "Don't cry. Don't cry. It's alright."

Before he knew it, little baby Hailey actually stopped crying. Nick was actually surprised that he was able to calm her down. Gwen was actually impressed.

"She... actually calm down." Nick thought. He then smiled a bit. "See? I'm not that scary, am I? I may have sharper teeth than you bunnies, but I'm not bad." Nick said to Hailey. Hailey giggled a bit.

"Wow! You're really good at this." Gwen said to Nick. "And you don't have any sibling?"

"Nope. Only child." Nick said.

"I couldn't tell by the way you are holding Hailey like that." Gwen said. "I bet you would be a great big brother."

"Not really sure I would. I just do what feel natural." Nick said honestly. He then lifted up Hailey up some more with a smile. "Say Hailey, can you say my name? Say... Nick."

"Ick." Hailey said.

"Ick?" Nick said.

"Ick!" Hailey said again happily.

Gwen tried to hold back her laughter, while Nick wasn't too happy. But how you feeling if a baby called you "ick", even if she didn't mean it?

"Oh yeah? Well you're cute. What do you think about that?" Nick said to Hailey. Hailey just responded by more smiling and giggling. "Hmm... usually when I say that to Judy she responds by getting mad or at least puffing out her cheeks. Are you sure that she's really one Judy's sisters?"

"Heeheehee!" Gwen giggled. "All 'icks' aside, it looks like Hailey really likes you."

"You think so?" Nick asked as Hailey put her paws on Nick's muzzle.

"Of course. She never this calm around her brothers. Let alone a fox." Gwen stated.

"Huh. Guess I'm different and she likes that." Nick said smiling.

Nick looked around the room and that a few of the cribs in the room were completely emptied.

"Say Gwen, why are those cribs empty?" Nick asked.

"Oh, those are for the new babies. The doctor said mom was gonna have a litter of five kids." Gwen stated. "Quite a small litter."

"You know for such small bunnies, I don't think you're really familiar with the concept of **small**." Nick said with a straight face. "A small litter is one kit. Which I guess is pretty rare for bunnies."

"Hahaha! Too true. It's really rare for bunny parents to have one kit in these parts." Gwen said. "I do have a friend who is an only child. Everyone class her lucky."

"Haha!" Nick laughed.

Hailey then yawns before drifting to sleep.

"Look. She's asleep." Nick stated.

"Unbelievable. I've been trying to get her to sleep for half an hour. Yet you were able to do it in just a few minutes." Gwen stated a bit surprised. "You're a godsent."

"So uhh... what do I do now?" Nick asked Gwen.

"Just put her down in her crib." Gwen said pointing at one of the empty cribs. "Careful now."

Nick nodding and put her down on the crib.

"There you go." Nick said.

"Nice work." Gwen said with a smile.

"Wow. It's hard to believe that we all started off like that." Nick said looking at little Hailey. "So small, so innocent, and not knowing a thing about the world out there yet."

"That's pretty deep for a young little fox." Gwen said.

"I've been said to be pretty smart for my age." Nick stated proudly. "So Gwen, do you do this all time... by yourself?"

"Not exactly. A lot of the others do help. I just like to do it the most." Gwen said.

"You must be a pretty good babysitter. I bet you would make a some pretty good cash for it here in Bunnyburrow." Nick stated before smirking a bit. "If families are as big as yours, I'm PRETTY sure a few parents what time away from their kits."

"Hahahaha! I would be lying if that was true." Gwen said laughing a bit. "But I mostly just babysit my brothers and sisters here at home. There're already a pawful of us."

"Well... you can definitely say that." Nick said while scratching the back of his head. "How about growing up to own a Daycare?"

"A Daycare?" Gwen said while tilting her head.

"Yeah. Since you are so good at taking care of your own brothers and sisters, you could have a really good career in taking care of other kits. Judy told me that some families have kits that only stay in their burrows. Maybe you can help kits not be in their burrows and teach them more about life and fun outside the burrows." Nick stated.

"That's... really thoughtful of you to think of..." Gwen said. "... but I'll think I'll just stick to working here at the farm and being a carrot farmer."

Nick's eye widen when he heard Gwen said that. Judy did said that she was the only one that wanted to do something other than farming. But he didn't think that Gwen would drop the idea so quickly. She didn't even took anytime to think about it.

"Are... you sure?" Nick asked looking concern.

"Positive. It's a lot of work to run a daycare. Being a carrot farmer is more simple and easier to handle." Gwen stated.

"If you say so." Nick said still looking unsure.

"Well... I'm assuming you still have the whole house to look around. So don't let me and these babies stop you." Gwen said.

"Right. It was nice meeting you." Nick said bowing to Gwen before heading to the door.

"Nick! Before you go, I want to say something." Gwen said halting Nick.

"Yes?" Nick said curiously.

"Before my sister met you, I wouldn't let a fox near any fox. But when I saw you with Hailey, it's good to know I was wrong to think that way." Gwen said with a smile.

"Hmm. Thanks... for saying that." Nick said happily.

With that said, Nick left the room and met up with Greg, Eric, Cole, and Conner again.

"Oh? You're back?" Eric said.

"Yeah. Your sister Gwen is really nice." Nick said. "Also, you have a lot of baby sibs."

"We have a lot of sibs period." Cole and Conner said at the same time.

"Come on. We should take you to the room now." Greg stated.

At that moment, the kits all started to hear some loud growling sound.

"Wh... what was that?" Greg said looking a bit frighten.

"That... would be my stomach." Nick said a bit embarrassed. "Do you guys mind if we stop and get a quick bite?"

"Dinner won't be for another hour." Eric stated.

"Aw man." Nick said a bit upset. His stomach then growled again. "I don't think I can wait that long, guys."

"Don't get any ideas." Greg said as him and his three brothers take a step back.

"Oh... ha... cause I'm a fox... and you're rabbits. Nice." Nick said looking unamused.

"Aww! Come on! We're just kidding." Greg said as he bump his shoulder with Nick's. "Let's take a quick trip to the kitchen to see if we can get a quick snack."

"Sounds like a plan." Nick said happily.

So the Hopps boys and Nick all headed for the kitchen to see if they could get something to snack on. The kitchen of the Hopps house was just like any other kitchen. Stove ovens, a big fridge, a bunch of cookware, and a counter with several farm fresh vegetables. The boys all looked around the kitchen.

"Now, what do we have for Nick to munch on before dinner?" Cole asked looking around the kitchen

"I see the cookie jar." Conner said spotting a carrot-looking jar. "How about some cookies?"

"Better not. I know a thing or two about taking cookies from the cookie jars. Not saying that I make a habit out taking cookies from a cookie jars..." Nick said with a smirk. The others chuckled a bit. "... but if leave even a tiny trail, moms will know."

"Jeez! Wish we knew you sooner so you could have warn us about that." Cole said.

Greg goes over to the fridge to see what was inside it.

"Want some juice?" Greg asked. "We have plenty of our specials in here."

"Depends. What kind?" Nick asked.

"Carrot juice." Greg said.

"Bleeeehh!" Nick said with his tongue out. He wasn't really fond of carrot juice. "I'll pass. What I'm really in the mode for is..." Nick then spotted on the counter a basket of blueberries. "BLUEBERRIES!"

It was no secret to anyone that Nick loved blueberries and Nick just LOVED the Hopps family farm's blueberries. He quickly walked to the basket and ate a few blueberries.

"Mmmmmmmmm. It's been so long since I actually had your family's blueberries." Nick said joyfully.

"Judy was right. You DO really love blueberries." Greg said smirking a bit.

"What can I say?" Nick said as he plopped some more blueberries into his mouth. "I'll think I'll save a few of these for later."

Nick then dig into his pockets and got out a red handkerchief. He then picked out a few blueberries and placed them in the handkerchief.

"What's that?" Eric asked Nick.

"Oh. This is the handkerchief from my scout's uniform." Nick said as he puts in back in his pocket with the blueberries. "When I'm not wearing my uniform, I like to keep this with me. As a reminder to stay true to myself."

"That's nice." Greg said.

"I like to think so." Nick said.

"Hey! What are you guys all doing here? Can't you all wait til dinner?" A voice from behind them shouted out.

The kits all turned around to see a male black furred bunny with a white muzzle and white on the tips of his ears, crossing his arms. He was wearing a green flannel shirt, blue jeans, and a white apron. He looked around the age of 13.

"Oh... hey, Matthew." Eric said nervously.

"Oh. Nick's here." Matthew said. "You do remember me, right?"

"Yeah. You and a few members of the family had dinner with us." Nick said.

"Correct. Also... that was also the night when... you know... what happen to you." Matthew said.

Nick then started to have flashbacks of when the Junior Ranger Scouts put a muzzle on him. But he didn't let those thoughts waver him. Greg, Eric, and the twins however, all started to look very sad.

"Sorry that had to happen to you." Matthew said sincerely.

"It's okay. It's only made me stronger." Nick said pumping his fist. "Besides, I got back at them and are still making them all work for forgiveness."

"Huh. Alright. That's good." Matthew said. "One thing I remember from that night was Mr. Wilde's awesome chili. I couldn't stop thinking about it for a whole week."

"You liked pop's chili that much?" Nick asked.

"Absolutely!" Matthew said happily nodding. "The use of veggies, the blend of spices, topping it with corn chips to add texture. It was heavenly. Do you know if I can get your dad's recipe?"

"That's not happening." Nick said. "The chili recipe is a family secret. Passed down from generation to generation since Great-Great Grandpa Wilde. Each Wilde must add something new to the recipe to make it better. Pop was the one who added corn chips to the recipe."

"So it's an evolving recipe where the next one in line has to add something new to it. Does that means you would be next in line?" Matthew asked.

"Yeah. But not for a while. I'm still a few years away from that. Pop hasn't even taught me how to make the chili yet. I just like to eat it." Nick stated.

"Ah." Matthew said. "Can't say we do that. Most family recipes remain unchanged and kept simple. Not a fan simple foods."

"Huh. So Matt... can I call you Matt?" Nick asked.

"Sure. It's not like any of us don't go by our nicknames." Matthew said.

"Guess I should know. Nick is my **nick** -name." Nick said smirking a bit. "Anyway Matt, I'm assuming you like to cook."

"Pretty obvious, isn't it?" Matt said showing off his apron. "Yep! I like to help around the kitchen. Do you honestly think mom and dad can cook for 276 kits and themselves BY themselves?"

"Actually I was starting to worry if some of you actually even eat." Nick admitted.

"Well now you know we all do." Matt said. "We just need to prep everything early, so we can make enough food for everyone. Like a school cafeteria."

"Oh. That makes sense." Nick said.

"Yeah and with our farm fresh veg, we can make some pretty good dishes." Matt stated with a smile. "Dinner's soon so I'm gonna handle the rest of the prep. Prepare for a feast."

"Cool. Can't wait." Nick said happily.

"Nick, we should REALLY get to our room now and put up your bags." Eric said.

"Oh jeez! I totally forgot." Nick said realized. "Let's get moving." Nick then looked at Matt while getting his bags. "Matt, it's was nice talking to you. See ya at dinner."

"Mm hmm." Matt said nodding.

With that, Nick and the others left the kitchen and made their way to their room and the room that Nick was gonna be staying in. The room was on the 3rd floor, so they had to climb some stairs. After going through a really long highway of door, they finally made it to the door that was leading to their room.

"We're here!" Greg, Eric, Cole and Conner said together.

"So this is the room?" Nick asked.

"Yep. See the sign?" Eric said pointing at a piece of paper hanging on the door.

Nick looked at the sign and it said "Foxes are welcome!" with a doodle of a smiling fox.

"Hmm... how could a fox say no to such a welcoming sign?" Nick said smiling.

He then opens the door and went inside the room. He looked around the room and notice his surroundings. Five beds, a desk, a few cool posters, and a box of awesome looking toys. Pretty much an pretty cool looking boy's room. Nick then puts his bags down near a bed that had blue bedsheets with blueberries on it. Clearly with his love for blueberries, this bed was meant for him.

"Nice room." Nick stated.

"Thanks!" Greg said. "Originally, this was one of the spare rooms and for some of our young brothers when they get older. But for now, we thought we should use this room for you and the four of us wanted to join you.

"Cool. But I'm not use to having roommates. So sorry if I'm not the best roommate." Nick said.

"Psssh! Do you honestly think that even half of this house the 'best' roommates?" Eric asked. "Trust me. A few of us here snores like bears. So an fox is an upgrade."

Nick responded by chuckling a bit. It's not everyday where a couple of bunnies are okay with having a fox as a roommate. Nick then remember something. Judy. He wanted to know if Judy was here yet.

"Hey guys, do you think that Judy is back yet?" Nick asked.

"Maybe. But like we said before, while we don't get lost in this house, it is hard to find where each other is at a certain time." Greg said.

"I still want to see her." Nick stated.

"Alright! Let's go." Conner said.

"Don't expect it to be easy." Cole said.

So after settling up a bit, the boys walked out the room and down the hallway again. Nick also had a few more questions about the house.

"I didn't get to ask before, how does the rooming in this house work?" Nick asked.

"Well... each room and floor depends on the age of the kit and the litter they were born." Greg said. "As you may have noticed, most of the kits in the bottom and second floor are the youngest. The ones in the third floor are middle kits. Like us and Judy."

"So Judy sleeps on the same floor we do." Nick said.

"Right." Greg said nodding. "The fourth floor is for the oldest kits. All our big brothers and sisters. But get this. Unlike the rest of us here, most of those guys get their... very... own... room to themselves."

"Woah! Really?" Nick said surprised.

"Uh huh. They get the luxury of having a whole room to themselves." Conner said. "But we won't get to know that until a few of us move out the house first. Still got a few more years."

"So let me get everything straight." Nick said as he stops walking. "So the second floor is for kits born later like Ally, Max, Inna, Ray, and Owen. The three floor is for you guys, Judy, Daisy, as well as Nate, Wendy, Carl, Luna, and Carrie. And lastly, the fourth floor is for the older kits like Eugene, Gerald, Herman, Gwen, Travis, Parker, Elain, Jillian, and Gabby. Did I get all that right?"

Greg, Eric, Cole, and Conner's eyes all widen when Nick mention all those names. They all had stunned looks on their faces.

"That... exactly right." Greg said still stunned.

"Wow... we're so surprised that you knew so much of us already." Eric said. "I didn't even knew you met more than a pawful of us."

"Oh. I didn't meet half of those guys yet." Nick said honestly. "I just memorized everyone's names from the list and photos that Judy gave me. So I kinda know all your brothers and sisters now."

"WHHHAAAAAATTTTT?!" The Hopps boys shouted out.

"Didn't... Judy told you that I want to grow up to know everybody in the city of Zootopia?" Nick asked them. "Knowing all of you was perfect practice for that. But it did took me like two weeks to memorize every name and photo of the bunny."

The others jaws dropped. They were really surprised. They didn't expect Nick to know everyone in such a short time. It was... to them... unbelievable.

"Hold on! Sorry, but there is just no way you know everyone so soon." Cole stated.

"I think we should put Nick to the test." Conner said.

The boys all led Nick to to the stairs near the main hall and living room. Around the area was about 80 or so bunnies. The boys stayed near the stairs to get an overall view of everyone.

"Alright Nicky, let's see what you got." Cole said with a smirk.

"Here's the deal. We point out at someone and you have to tell us their name." Conner said.

"Sound easy enough." Nick said with his right paw on his chin.

"First off, the white furred tall boy bunny in the brown shirt and overalls." Greg said.

"That would be Shawn." Nick said.

"Correct." Greg admitted.

"How about the little light brown girl bunny with pink bow and sky blue dress with the flowers on it?" Eric said.

"Sadie." Nick said with a confident smile.

"Right again." Eric said surprised.

"Alright. Time for a really hard one." Conner said. "Who's the girl bunny with light grey fur in the green hoodie and blue skirt?"

"Ooooh. This one's a toughie." Nick said with his thumbnail in his mouth.

"Ha! I knew you couldn't..." Conner said before being stopped by Nick.

"I'm not done." Nick said. "I mean it's a toughie because that's either Cindy, Mindy, or Lindy since the three of them are identical triplets. So if I had to guess... that's Mindy besides Jackie and Christopher, Cindy in the red hoodie with Victor, Ivory, and Amanda, and Lindy talking Thomson and Patty." Nick then started to smile wide and slyly. "I am right... am I?"

The boys froze for a few seconds.

"I... actually not sure anymore." Conner said putting his head down.

"Okay. It's clear. You actually know all of us." Eric said. "Maybe even more than we do."

"Hahaha! What can I say? I'm a smart fox." Nick said still smiling slyly.

As Nick boosted a bit, he started to smell something familiar to him. A scent that he knows too well.

"Hang on. I know that scent." Nick said started to get excited.

He then over the field of bunny kids and finally spots her. It was Judy.

"Ju..." Nick shouted out excitedly before covering his mouth. He decided that it would be more fun if she sneak up and surprise her. Nick had a very wide smirk on his face. "The predator sees his prey. Now he waits for the perfect moment to pounce."

Nick then passes Greg and the others and goes down the stairs.

"Should... we be concern for Judy from what Nick just say?" Cole asked his brothers.

"Nah. I'm sure he's just joking around." Conner said.

"Yeah." The others said agreeing.

As Nick reached the end of the stairs he then got on all fours and started to sneak. He also quietly told a few of Judy's siblings that he wanted to surprise her. He told them to cover him and pretend not to notice him. The kits all agreed to let Nick do his thing. As Nick went all stealthy, Judy was looking left and right to see if she could find him.

"Where is Nick?" Judy thought. "His family car is here. So he should be here too. How hard could it be to find a boy fox in a house full of bunnies?"

As she thought that, someone from behind her grabbed her ears and then covered her eyes with them. This caught her by surprised. It was Nick with a wide smile on his face.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Judy said it a fret.

"Guess who?" Nick said slyly.

After hearing Nick's voice, she actually calmed down and smiled herself.

"Hmm... the last person who did this to me was my _kidnapper_. And he was a horrible one at that." Judy said slyly. "I actually had a really great time with him."

"Really? Guess he must have not been the kidnapping type." Nick said to Judy before letting go off her ears.

Judy turned around to see Nick and the two happily smile at each other.

"Nick!" Judy shouted out happily.

"Judy!" Nick shouted out happily.

The two then started to hug each other. All of Judy's siblings watching were all starting to giggle a bit. Nick and Judy were starting to feel embarassed so they stopped hugging.

"Come on. Friends can hug. No big deal." Nick said to them.

"I'm surprised you were actually able to find me in this crowd of bunnies." Judy said.

"Didn't you know foxes have a good sense of smell?" Nick asked while pointing at his nose. "I already know your scent. I can always find you no matter how many others bunnies are there."

Judy blushed and giggled a bit.

"Anyway Nick, I so happy that you are staying here the weekend." Judy said with a smile.

"Me too. This is gonna be the best weekend ever." Nick said excited.

"Uh huh! The two of us are gonna hang out all day." Judy said nodding.

"Hold on!" Someone shouted out.

Nick felt someone grabbed his tail. It was by a white furred girl bunny wearing a yellow dress and a flower on her head. It was Daisy.

"Daisy!" Nick said surprised.

"Why do you always get to hang out with Nick, Judy?" Daisy said looking a bit mad. "Some of us want some time with him too."

"Uhhhhhh..." Judy said trying to think of something. Nick was mostly Judy's friend. She didn't think that others wanted to hang with Nick too.

"Now wait just a minute." Cole said walking to Nick, alongside with Conner, Eric, and Greg.

"If Nick is gonna hang out with anyone, it's us." Conner stated.

"Yeah! He still owns me a few matches of Zoo Fighter Sigma 3." Greg stated.

"You're already roommates with him. What else do you need?" Daisy said looking mad at her brothers.

But they weren't the only ones who wanted to hang out with Nick. A few of the other bunnies wanted to hang out with Nick too, as they started to play tug-a-war with the poor fox boy and hopped on his body.

"I wanna hang out with Nick."

"No. Nick's gonna hang out with me."

"N,o me."

"Wait your turn. I'm next to hang with Nick."

"Guys! Be easy on Nick." Judy said worried for Nick.

"Is this what's it like to be popular?" Nick said while bunnies were still on him. "I got to say..." Nick then started smiling. "... I'm actually enjoying it."

Stu, Bonnie, John, and Frankie showed up and noticed all the commotion.

"Oh my. Seems like everyone's a bit... overbearing over Nick again." Bonnie stated.

"Should we do something, Johnny?" Francine asked.

"I don't think that we need to. Look at Nick. He's so happy." John stated with a smile.

The parents looked and realized John was right. Nick did seem really happy. So like last time, they let their kids be kids. A while later, everyone went to the dining room and had just finished dinner. Most of the Hopps kits gathered around Nick to ask him a bunch of fox questions. Nick was still sitting on his chair beside Judy.

"So... you're really a good fox?" One of Judy's older brothers asked.

"Uh huh. Actually... I'm even nicer than mammals." Nick answered.

"Your tail is really long and fluffy. Are all foxes tail's like this?" One of Judy's little sisters asked petting Nick's tail.

"Most foxes, yes. My buddy, Finnick's tail, is much shorter cause he's a fennec fox." Nick said. "Us regular foxes also can freely move our tails any way we want. From the ground... to lifting it up... and using it to brush... and tickle."

Nick then moved his tail and started to tickle the little bunny. She responded by giggling happily.

"Does it wag when you are really happy?" The little bunny asked.

"That's dogs." Nick said to her with a straight face.

"So... all foxes aren't sneaky and conniving?" Another one of Judy's sisters asked Nick.

"Of course not." Nick said. "While I can't say that for ALL foxes, but the majority of foxes aren't. The same can be said about other mammals."

"I already knew that." Judy said with a sly smile.

"You guys may not have known this, but most criminals in Zootopia aren't even really foxes." Nick said.

"Really?" Judy's sister asked.

"Uh huh. Mostly wolves, rhinos, different types of rodents, bears, etc." Nick stated before sipping a cup of juice.

"What are some of things foxes are good at?" One of Judy's little brothers asked.

"Lots of things. Climbing, digging, having a good sense of smell, our smarts... OH! And we also have night vision." Nick said.

"Woah! That's awesome!" Judy's brother said.

"I know, right?" Nick said happily.

"I heard foxes are clever, but not knowledge smart." One of Judy's older brothers said.

"Wrong. I'm smart both ways. I get As and Bs in school. Even got a 100 on my last test." Nick said proudly. "The same about foxes being smart both ways can be said about my mom and pop. They are both incredibly smart and wise."

"Huh. Say, aren't foxes nocturnal?" One of Judy's brother's wearing glasses asked.

"Yes. But most foxes these days are daywalkers, like my family." Nick said. "We prefer the daytime over the nighttime."

"And all foxes... don't eat bunnies?" Another one of Judy's sister asked.

"Of course not. Predators haven't eaten anyone in centuries. We have no reason to." Nick said. "I mean, come on. Who's dumb enough to actually believe foxes would actually still eat bunnies?

Stu just happen to hear Nick's comment from the far side of the table and had this 'awkward' look on his face. The main reason why bunnies always feared foxes cause they thought they would eat them. Stu started to feel that it was silly to think that since the Wilde have been such good friends.

"Guess it is pretty dumb for us to still think that." Eric said.

"Yeah. Very dumb." Nick said.

"Next question. This is the most important question we need to ask you." Greg said. "On a scale of..." Nick then halted them.

"Let me stop you right there. I already went through this with Judy. So I know where this is going." Nick said. "Speed round. Here we go. 6 or 7 is how I rate being an only child. I do not have to wait in long lines just to use the bathroom. I do not have to run to the dining hall for every meal. I do not have to wear hand-me-downs or share my clothes with other siblings. Lastly, no. I don't think mom and dad will adopt any of you OR that your parents will be okay with it. That should be the answers to all you questions, right?"

"Wow... That... was actually ALL of them." Greg said surprised.

"Well also... since I'm an only child, I don't have to share a birthday or my birthday presents with anyone." Nick stated.

Every one of the bunny kids froze when Nick said that. Even Judy.

"Wait a second. Nick, did you say... birthday **presents**?" Judy asked. "As in plural?"

"YOU GET MORE THAN ONE PRESENT ON YOUR BIRTHDAY?!" The other kids shouted out.

"I feel that I may have said too much." Nick said feeling awkward.

"That's it. I'm calling it. Foxes have it better than rabbits." Greg said feeling jealous m

"Agreed." The other Hopps kits said.

"Pssshh... hahaha! You bunnies. So fickle." Nick said laughing a bit. Then... Nick started smelling a sweet aroma. An aroma that he's REALLY quite familiar with. "Wait a minute. That... that smell... could it be?"

Bonnie walked over to Nick, holding a plate with a slice of pie on it.

"Nick, Judy already told me how much you love our blueberries. So I thought it would be nice to make you this." Bonnie said as she puts the plate down in front of Nick.

"Is... is this..." Nick asked starting to shake a bit.

"Yep! It's a nice, warm, homemade slice of blueberry pie. Made from the blueberries from our farm." Judy said to Nick with a smile.

Nick was complete lost for words. He didn't know how to respond. But his tail was wagging left and right.

"Look! His tail's wagging." One of Judy's little sisters stated.

"I'm guessing he must be happy." Judy stated. "Aren't you Nick?"

Nick didn't responded. He was still in a bit of shock and awe.

"Nick? Are you okay?" Judy asked looking concern.

"I'm fine." Nick said finally saying something. "It's just that... I never actually thought this moment would happen. But here it is. Right in front of me."

"Jeez, Slick. It's pie, not the key to the town." Judy said. "Now come on. Try it already."

"O... kay." Nick said a little nervous.

So Nick grabbed his fork and slowly cut a bit of pie. Everyone was eyeballing Nick to see his reaction.

"Careful. Our Nicky's a tough critic." John stated.

"Only we'll know if he **actually** loves it." Frankie said with a smirk.

Nick slowly lifts the piece of pie to his mouth, opened up his mouth, and ate the piece. It looked like he was savoring the taste of the blueberries before swallowing. After that... he just froze again. Everyone was looking concern again that Nick hasn't responded yet. After a few seconds, Nick finally reacted. He had wide smile on his face and then he started quickly gobbling down more of the pie.

"Oh my." Bonnie said responding to Nick fast eating.

"He loves it." John and Frankie said smiling.

"We can tell." Judy said.

Within a few seconds, the pie was already gone.

"That... was without a doubt... the best piece of pie I have had in my life." Nick said satisfied.

"You went through that pretty fast." Judy stated. "But I'm glad you like it."

"Mrs. Hopps, is it okay if I ask for another slice?" Nick asked holding his plate up.

"You seem to have quite the appetite. Where do you get it from?" Bonnie asked.

Everyone then looked at John, who also just happen to be having a slice of blueberry pie... and finishing it. He also had a bit of blueberry and crumbs on his face.

"I... wouldn't mind another slice of pie either." John said.

"Ohhhhhh. So that's where Nick gets it from." Judy stated.

"Like father, like son." Nick said smirking and shrugging.

After pie, Nick was promised to play a few rounds of Zoo Fighter Sigma 3 with Greg and the others. So the kits went off to play with Nick. Judy didn't played, but still joined them to watch. Greg, Eric, Cole, and Conner felt confident that they could actually be Nick at the game. But that confidence went down when they each heard this.

"K... O..." The game announcer went.

Greg was playing Nick and lost. Nick's response was a wide fox smile.

"I don't get it. I played this game everyday since we bought it, learned all the combos, and the all the characters' strengths and weaknesses. You don't even own this game." Greg said still in awe from his lost. "How are you already so good at this game?"

"Does Bunnyburrow have arcades?" Nick asked Greg.

"No." Greg said thinking about it.

"Question answered." Nick said with a smirk.

"Grrr... one more round." Greg said looking angry.

"You sure? Maybe we should play another game." Nick said. "Hopefully... a co-op game. You know, beating up the bad guys and... not each other."

"One... more... round." Greg said gritting his teeth.

"Guys, you have been playing for a long time now." Judy said.

"It hasn't been that long. It's only..." Greg said as he looks up at the clock in the room. "... 10: 45."

"WHAT!?" Nick shouted out as he dropped his controller and got on his feet. "Okay. I don't know when your guys' bedtime it is, but it's REALLY past mine."

"Okay. Maybe we went overboard with the last 20 or so matches." Eric said.

"Ya think?" Nick stated.

"Let's just all call it a day, head to our rooms, and get to bed." Judy said.

"Right." Nick, Greg, and the others said.

The kits turned off the TV and the game system and started to head to their rooms. They go out to the hallway and notice that it's pretty dark.

"Oh great! The hallway's so dark, we can barely see." Conner stated quietly.

"I can see fine." Nick said being quietly too.

"Ohhhhhh! Fox night vision!" Cole and Conner said together quietly.

"Remember where our rooms are?" Eric asked.

"Of course." Nick said.

"Lead the way." Judy said.

"Okay." Nick said nodding.

The kids quietly walk down the hallway, not wanting to wake anyone up. Especially their parents, who also may be asleep. They quietly went up the stairs and to the third floor, where their rooms were.

"I got to say, having night vision must be really awesome." Greg said. "Bet you can use your night vision when you want to go to the kitchen and get yourself a midnight snack."

"True, but it doesn't help when your parents also have night vision." Nick stated.

"Riiiiight." The others said.

"Especially when it's mom. Pop got in trouble with mom a LOT when he goes down to get a midnight snack." Nick stated. "Mom likes him to eat healthy."

"Poor Mr. Wilde." Judy said.

The group then stopped at one of the doors.

"This is my room. Or... at least the room I sleep in." Judy said. "Doesn't count when you have a bunch of other roommates."

"Goodnight, Judy." Nick said with smile.

"Goodnight." Judy said as she opens the door and closes it behind her.

"Now for us." Greg said.

The boys then walked to their room and made it to the door. They go inside and then start to change into their sleep clothes.

"It's actually a good thing we are going to bed now." Nick said putting on a white shirt. "I was getting tired of beating your sorry bunny butts anyway."

"Don't get too cocky. I plan to beat you next time." Greg said.

"Sure you will." Nick said sarcastically.

Nick then was about to hop into his bed and call it a day. The boys on the other hand, they didn't seem to want to go to bed just yet.

"Say Nick, before you go to bed, do you mind if we talk to you about something?" Cole asked.

"Right now? I'm really tired guys. Can this wait tomorrow?" Nick asked.

"I'm afraid this can't wait." Cole said sounding serious.

The tone that Cole used got Nick's attention. Also all four of the boys ears were droopy. Nick then walked over to the boys to hear what they had to say.

"Okay. What's up?" Nick said to him.

"Listen dude..." Cole said started to feel awkward.

"... the four of us..." Conner said awkward as well.

"... wanted to say..." Eric said.

"... sorry." Greg said sincerely.

"Huh? What for?" Nick asked looking confused.

"For everything." Greg said.

"Guys, if it's about that thing with the scouts, I already settled things with them. Remember?" Nick said. "You don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Yes, we do. We still can't forgive them for what they did to you." Cole said mad.

"Not even a little." Conner said mad as well.

"Guys, I'm fine now. Really." Nick said honestly. "But that was more of my problem than yours. Why are you guys taking it so seriously?"

"It's because..." Eric said shaking a bit.

"We could have been like them." The boys shouted out.

Nick was surprised to hear them all say that. While Judy did said something similar to that to him, he didn't expect her brother to say that too.

"Dudes, you're not them." Nick stated.

"But we could have been." Conner said.

"That wouldn't..." Nick said before getting stopped.

"Nick, would you just listen to us." Conner said seriously.

Hearing Conner's serious tone, Nick stopped talking and decided to listen to them.

"Mom and dad always told us to stay away from foxes. They told us that foxes couldn't be trusted and that it was in their biology and we believed them." Cole admitted. "Even after you met Judy, we still believed that."

"But then she told us more about you and we all got to know you better. That's when we realized that mom and dad were wrong." Conner said. "Everything we thought we knew about foxes was wrong. You, Mr. Wilde, Mrs. Wilde, even Gideon. We were wrong about all of you."

"Guys, it's okay." Nick said being sincere.

"No, it's not." Cole and Conner said.

"*sigh* Truth is, we have all been doing some thinking lately." Eric said.

"What kind of thinking?" Nick asked.

"We told Greg and Eric the things that Finnick said." Conner said to Nick. "About how grown-ups talk about other mammals like us and think that they know what's best. But even so, they make mistakes too and pass it down to their kids. That's what been happening with us."

"We only did certain things our parents told us do. But that doesn't mean that it's the best choice for us to do." Greg said. "After a while, we realized that our parents have been trying to keep us alert and afraid of most things in life. That's no way to live."

"While it's true that some parents make mistakes and maybe your parents are a bit concern, but they are only doing that because they are trying to keep you safe." Nick said.

"Maybe. But even so, we all realize we want more than just being afraid." Greg said.

"I pretty sure you already know what kind of bunny Judy is. She's basically the opposite of how a bunny should be." Eric said. "She's not afraid of trying something new. While the rest of us here..."

"... Are too afraid to try... cause you might fail." Nick said finishing up what Eric was about to say. "I know. Judy told me."

"It's just that... we always thought a bunny only be a bunny. But does it mean we HAVE to be a bunny? What is being a bunny anyway?" Eric asked. "Being good at hopping? Eating carrots? Having a hundred or so brothers and sisters? Being a farmer? Ugh! All these new thoughts have been giving us a headache for the longest time now."

"Hold on. What are you all saying?" Nick asked.

"I guess what we are saying is..." Eric said.

"... the whole time we thought we HAD to be farmers." Cole said.

"But now that we are more open to the world out there..." Conner said.

"We realized that... we don't know what to do." Greg said. "We just know that we don't want to settle."

This really surprised Nick to hear. The boys don't want to grow up to be farmers anymore as said by their parents. It was rare to be expected since Judy told her that all her siblings were just gonna settle for being farmers.

"Nick, what do you think we should do?" Greg asked.

"Honestly, I can't say. But I do know this. You and all your brothers and sisters don't all have to grow up to be farmers like your parents. You should do something that you feel happy about. Something you want to do." Nick said.

"Got any suggestions?" Greg asked.

"I don't know. You guys like playing video games so much. Maybe learn how to make 'em." Nick suggested.

"Ehhh. Prefer playing them over make them." Greg stated.

"Greg, Eric, Cole, Conner, you don't have to worry what you want to do yet. We're all still young, so we don't need to worry about that kind of stuff yet." Nick said. "Like I told Judy, we should enjoy things while we're young and worry about the stuff for the future later."

Nick then started walking closer to them.

"Don't sweat it now. When the time is right, you'll find out what you want to do." Nick said with a smile.

The boys all looked at each other and smiled a bit. They all started to feel a bit better. Nick's wise words help them understand their feelings more.

"I think we understand why Judy like hanging out with you so much. In some ways, you're actually a lot like her." Greg stated.

"Really?" Nick asked looking confused. "Cause Judy and I don't really have anything in common."

"He means that you both have a positive outlook and want to do more with your lives." Eric said. "That can't really be said about us."

"Truth is, I would have given up on that if it wasn't for Judy. So for all you know, I could have ended as the fox your parents always told you to stay away from." Nick admitted.

"Well we're glad that you're not. So... thanks Nick... you know. For everything." Eric said.

"We know that you're mostly Judy's friend." Cole said.

"But know that you're all our friend too." Conner said with a smile.

"You know, I don't know what's it like to have brothers. Yet, I glad to know there are four guys that I can consider to be like brothers." Nick said with a smile.

Nick looked at the boys and they all started to have tears fall from their eyes.

"Woah! Guys, are you okay?" Nick asked concerned.

The next thing to happen was all four of the bunnies went over to hug Nick. This really weird Nick out.

"You can call us bros anytime, Nick." Greg said happily weeping.

"Yeah." Eric, Cole, and Conner said happily weeping as well.

"Guys, easy. You bunnies with hugging and being so emotional." Nick said as the bunnies hugged him a little too tight. "Mind letting go now?"

The boys nodded and let go of Nick. They then wipe the tears from their eyes.

"Alright. We all have been up long enough. Time fore some sleep before I pass out on the floor." Nick said.

"Right." Cole and Conner said.

The five then went over to their beds, got into their covers, and got ready to drift into sleep.

"Night guys." Nick said sleeping.

"Night Nick." Greg, Eric, Cole and Conner said.

Nick closed his eyes as he was ready to call it a night. But as he was doing that, Greg walked to ask him one more thing.

"Nick, still up?" Greg asked. Nick just responded by groaning and putting the covers over his head. "Sorry, it's just that we forgot to ask you something. Do you... like hanging out with Judy so much because you have a crush on her?"

Nick's eye opened back up when he heard that. Clearly, he didn't wanted to answer that question yet. So instead of responding to the question with an answer, he just did some loud snoring.

"Either he's fast asleep..." Conner said raising an eyebrow.

"... or he's dodging the question." Cole said with a straight face.

"Guess it doesn't really matter." Greg said.

The boys then fluff their pillows and went straight to sleep like Nick. Even if he was asleep, Nick couldn't help but think about Greg's question. Did he like hanging out with Judy cause he had a crush on her? It was something he still wasn't sure about. Only time will tell. For now, Nick will enjoy his weekend with the Hopps.

 **That's the end of this chapter and part 1. Hope that you all enjoy this part. Sorry if Judy wasn't in it enough. It might be more or less in the next chapter too. Next chapter, Nick will meet even more of Judy's brothers and sisters. He will also find out each of them are different in their own way. More on that next time.**


	15. Chapter 13-2: WWATB Parent Chat

**First off, this isn't chapter 14 and part 2. This is a side-chapter. So pretty much chapter 13.5. Like a mini-chapter that's not so mini. This side-chapter will be focused not on the kids, but the parents. John, Frankie, Stu and Bonnie have a little talk after dinner to talk about their children and get to know each other more. I feel that I really needed to do something like this. So it should be a nice read for you guys before the next chapter. Let's get to it.**

* * *

It's still Nick and his parents' first day spending the weekend at the Hopps house. After dinner, Nick was hanging out with Judy and a few of her brothers and sisters. At the time, four of the Hopps kits were riding on top of Nick's dad, John, shoulders and head. It looked like the kits were having fun being lifted up and down by the Fox. Francine, Stu, and Bonnie also notice how much fun the kits were having with John.

"Now kids, be easy on Mr. Wilde." Bonnie said.

"Naw. It's okay. I don't mind." John said with a smile. "They are actually very light."

From a distance, Nick and Judy were watching.

"Seems like my little brothers and sisters really like your dad, Nick." Judy said.

"Why wouldn't they? Pop is awesome." Nick said proudly.

"Johnny, how about having some tea with us?" Frankie asked.

"Sure. Just a minute." John said.

John then puts down the little bunnies.

"Alright kiddies. You run off and play." John said with a big smile.

The little bunnies happily giggled and ran off. John with off to join his wife, as well as Stu and Bonnie for tea. Nick watches as the parents head to the living room. While doing that, Greg tapped Nick on his back to get his attention.

"Yo Nick! Come on. Let's have that round of Zoo Fighter." Greg said to Nick.

"Oh." Nick said remembering that Greg wanted him to play the game. "Umm... you and the guys go on ahead and set things up without me. Judy and I will meet you in a few. Promise."

"Well... okay." Greg said. "Don't take too long."

Greg then left. Nick then walked over to Judy and whispered something to her.

"Psst! Judy!" Nick whispered in her ear. "Let's listen in on our parents."

"What? Why?" Judy asked.

"To make sure that they are getting along." Nick stated. "Think about it. Our friendship also depends on how well our parents get along with each other. If they are not getting along, who knows what that could mean for us?"

"Hmm... you have a point." Judy stated. "Okay. But we should do it... quietly."

"No prob. Quiet is my middle name." Nick said with a smirk.

"I thought your middle name was Piberius." Judy said raising an eyebrow up.

"Just... let's just go and listen in on our parents." Nick said with a straight face.

"Whatever you say, Nick 'Quiet' Wilde." Judy said joking around a bit.

So Nick and Judy quietly sneaked into the living room and hid behind the doorway, looking at their parents. The parents were all sitting in chairs, near a table, sipping on tall glasses of ice tea and talking.

"So we never got to ask you, how did you two meet?" John asked Stu and Bonnie.

"Oh. Us meeting was nothing special." Bonnie said.

"We knew each other for a long time, dated in high school, got married young, got this house and took over the family farm, and lastly had an army young'uns." Stu said. "Not really much to it."

"Really? Is that all there is to it?" Frankie asked.

"Pretty much. We lived here in the Burrows most of our lives and we have always been busy with the farm and the children." Bonnie said. "What about you two?"

"Not really special for us either. Johnny and I were high school sweethearts. Dated all four years of high school, dated all through the summer, got separated when we went to different colleges, reunited a few years later, and then tied the knot." Frankie said as she shows her ring.

"Not really special? Frankie, I believe you're leaving out a few details." John stated.

"Oh, we don't need to bother them with ALL the details." Frankie said.

"But the details are the best part of our relationship. We HAVE to mention them." John stated firmly.

"HAVE to mention them? Is it that important?" Bonnie asked.

"Of course it is." John stated.

From afar, Nick and Judy were still listening.

"Now that I think about, mom and pop never told me the story of how they met. Only that they knew each other for a long time." Nick said to Judy.

"Really? Then let's both listen." Judy said.

Now back to the parents...

"I suppose we could give them the full story." Frankie said. "It was around the first semester of school. While I was getting things out of my locket, this tall and smooth boy fox came my way."

"And _handsome_. You forgot _handsome_." John said with a smirk.

"And... "handsome" boy fox came my way." Frankie said as she rolled her eyes. "You can guess it was none other than John here. But not as you would expect him."

"See, in the past, I was... a bit of a **bad boy.** " John admitted.

Stu and Bonnie were a bit surprised to hear John say that. Good and honest John was actually a bad boy in high school. Nick and Judy were surprised as well.

"Bad boy?" Stu and Bonnie said looking surprised.

"Pop? A bad boy? Really?" Nick said surprised too.

"Well... I wasn't really much of a bad boy... so to say. I mean, I had the leather jacket and a bit of tude, but not much of "bad" part." John stated.

"He walked over to me acting all cool and bad boyish, telling me that I was cute, and wanted to ask me out." Francine said.

"She said no." John said looking down.

"No?" Stu and Bonnie said surprised.

"I told him 'I don't date fox boys that aren't true to themselves.'" Frankie said. "I could tell just by looking at him that the whole "bad boy" thing was an act."

"I honestly never would have guessed that someone found me out so quickly. Most people believe the bad boy thing since I was already a fox. But in just a few seconds after seeing me, she already had me figured out." John said.

"Over time, Johnny would continue to try and impress me. But he wasn't really going anyway with me." Frankie said.

"So... when did your feelings start to change?" Bonnie asked.

"A few girls were insulting Frankie because she was a fox and thought that she was up to no good." John said. "I saw that and I went over there to set those girls straight. They all walked away and left Frankie alone."

"No one had ever really stood up to me before. So I never would expect some **bad** **boy**." Frankie said. "After that, we started hanged out more. Then before we knew it, we became that 'it' couple."

"We spend almost every day together. From days in school to days on the weekend and to many days in the summertime for 4 years. Up until our last summer together." John said.

"So what happened?" Stu asked.

"That was when we had to go to different colleges. While I was going to college in the city, Francine was going to college... outside of the city." John said sadly.

"After we both had a heartwarming goodbye, I got on a train and left. It was one of the saddest days for either of us." Frankie stated.

"So how did you two reunited?" Bonnie asked.

"It was actually quite a random encounter." John said. "During the time, I was going around a farmer's market in Savanna Central. I always loved the aroma of fresh foods. Foxes always have a good sense of smell ya know? But as I walked through the market, a familiar scent came to me. A scent that I never forgot after so many years. I looked around the area and spotted a nice vixen looking at some peaches. But was it her? The girl that I wished to see again after so long? I had to be sure. So I called to her and said... "Frankie?". The vixen turned to face me and..."

"I turned around to see who called me... and it was none other than the handsome fox I wanted to see after so long." Francine said. "When I saw his face I said... "Johnny?". I almost couldn't hold back my joy."

"I shouted out "FRANKIE!"" John said happily.

"Then I shouted out happily "JOHNNY!"" Frankie said happily. "Next thing you know, we hugged, talked about everything we have done the last few years, and when things were right... we got hitched."

Even if that seemed like the whole story, John had a disappointed look on his face. Frankie may be leading out some things.

"Frankie dear, you're leaving out a bunch of key details again." John said crossing his arms.

"Key details?" Nick and Judy said still listening.

"Johnny, no!" Frankie said looking all flustered and starting to blush a bit. "Please don't mention **that**. It's just... too embarrassing."

"I'm not embarrassed. Besides I **HAVE** to mention it." John stated proudly.

"Don't you dare." Frankie said still looking flustered.

"I gotta." John said smiling widely.

"Wonder what Mrs. Wilde is so embarrassed about?" Judy asked Nick.

"Let's keep listening and find out." Nick said.

"Okay. Our curiosity is peaked. Tell us what happened?" Stu asked.

"Uhhhhhhh... oh my goodness..." Frankie said covering her face with her paws.

"Welllllllllll..." John said slyly. "During that day, we started talking to each other for the whole time we were at the farmer's market. After that, we continue to spend the whole day with each other till the sun was about to set. We realized that it was getting late. So even when we didn't want to, we had to say goodbye to each other. We said it was great to see each other again and went opposite ways." John then got up from his chair. "But then... after two minutes of walking, I realized something. I just reunited with the girl of my dreams and don't have any way of reaching her again. No address, no phone number, no nothing. I couldn't risk never seeing her again. So I turned around and ran. I ran so fast, keeping her scent in mind. Once I saw her I shouted out "FRANKIE!" to get her to stop walking. I stopped running when I got in front of her."

"Uhhhhh..." Frankie said still covering her face.

"So, what did you do next?" Bonnie asked.

"What did I do next, you ask?" John said with a smirk. "Well I..." Next thing John did was grabbed Frankie then lifted her up from the ground in the way a husband would lift up his wife after they get married. "... lifted her up from the ground and didn't want to let her go."

"Oh my." Bonnie said a surprised.

"Johnny, put me down!" Frankie said embarrassed, yet still smiling.

"That's exactly you said that day." John happily stated. "And I twiddled you around and said... "No! I'm not letting you go again."

"Seriously Johnny, put me down." Frankie said.

"You said that too. So I said... 'Very well. I'll put you down... on one condition. You have to marry me.'" John said happily.

"WHAT?!" Stu and Bonnie shouted out surprised.

"What?!" Nick and Judy quietly shouted out.

Was John serious? He asked Francine to me marry him right off the back... after just meeting her again? It's just... really gutsy to do.

"I know what you're both thinking. Why would I do something so risky? If she said no I could have been crushed. But I'm a go-getter. I go and I get. Now I just waited for Frankie's response. After a few seconds..."

"I said yes." Frankie said happily.

"She said yes. Haha! She said yes." John said happily while still lifting Frankie."After that, we got hitched in the summer four months later. But not just any day in the summer."

"It was the same day we got separated. So that way, we can make the saddest day in our lives the greatest day of our lives." Frankie said happily. "We've been happy ever since."

"My beautiful vixen." John said as he nuzzles Frankie's neck.

"My handsome tod." Frankie said happily.

As nice as it was to see a married couple get along, Nick reacted to this display by... well... how do most kids react to their parents' signs of affections?

"Bleeehh!" Nick said in disgust. "I don't want to see this. Clearly, everything is fine. Time to go."

Nick then grabbed Judy by her arm quickly started moving away from the area.

"I think it sweet on how your parents met." Judy said to Nick with a smile.

"Yeah yeah. They are the perfect fox couple and they're madly in love." Nick said with a straight face.

"You know, it's actually kinda funny." Judy said.

"What is?" Nick asked.

"The way that your parents met... and how they reunited... it was similar to us." Judy stated.

"Huh. You're actually right. It is kinda similar." Nick said.

Nick and Judy then stopped to think about it for a moment. Saved them from bullies, talked a bit, got separated for a long while, felt really sad, reunited by a sense of smell. Nick meeting Judy was not just kinda similar to his parents, but almost EXACTLY like his parents. Once Nick and Judy realized that they were pretty stunned.

"I mean... it's totally exactly like us. It's not like I'm asking you to marry me." Nick said blushing a bit. "Why did I say that?" Nick thought.

"Yeah. We're waaaaay too young for that. We're not even a couple or dating." Judy said blushing a bit. "Why did I say that?" Judy thought.

You can just feel the awkwardness from the two of them right now.

"Soooooooo... how bout we meet up with the others now?" Nick asked trying to end the awkwardness.

"Let's go. Like, now." Judy said.

"Now is go." Nick said.

Nick and Judy then left to meet up with Greg and the others. Now let's get back to the parents. John finally puts Frankie back down and they continued to talk.

"After the best day of our lives, it wasn't that long for the other best day of our lives." John said.

"Nine months later, our little Nicky was born in the Spring." Frankie said.

"Wait? Nine months AFTER you just got married?" Stu said surprised.

"It... happened on our honeymoon." Frankie said a bit embarrassed.

"That's uhh... surprisingly quick. We didn't even have our first kits until three months after we got married." Stu stated.

"Well, you know what they say. You bunnies may be good at multiplying, but us foxes, we're good at the dark." John said with a sly smirk.

"Johnny!" Frankie shouted as she smacks John on his shoulder.

"What? I'm just saying." John said shrugging.

"*sigh* All jokes aside, we were very happy when Nick was born." Frankie said.

"That's how most parents get when their children are born. I can remember still remember the birth of our 17 kits like it was yesterday." Bonnie said looking a bit nostalgic.

"17? Jeez! If I was in that position, I still would be in a panic." John thought.

"Say, John and Frankie, we got to ask. This might be a sensitive question to ask, but how come Nick's your only child? Haven't you ever thought about have more children and giving Nick a sibling or two?" Bonnie asked.

This was a bit of a sensitive question to ask. Mainly for John. For some reason, he seemed very fazed by Bonnie's question.

"Uhhh... well..." John said trying his best to think of an answer.

"See, when we had Nick, it wasn't really a great time in our lives. We had a small apartment and low paying jobs. It was hard for us to support ourselves, let alone a baby. So it would only have been harder if we had more." Frankie said.

"I see. But surely that's different now." Stu said. "Your store is doing so much better now and you guys have been getting more and more customers right out the wazoo."

"Hmm. That is true." Frankie said thinking about it. She then looked at John who seemed pretty nervous. "John, what do you think?"

Oh boy. How was John gonna respond to this?

"I... suppose I don't mind having another baby that hates me for the first 3 months." John said.

"Johnathan!" Frankie shouted out.

"I'm sorry, hate you?" Bonnie said looking confused.

"Did little Nick really hate you?" Stu asked.

"Well... that's what it seemed like at first." John said. "Maybe I should explain it a bit more. See, when Nick was born, every time I held him, no matter what, he would cry up a storm. He was fine with his mother, but me... it was always the same thing. Loud crying."

"Oh dear." Bonnie said.

"So... what change that?" Stu asked.

"Well one day, the Mrs. was really sick..." John said.

Now let's flashback to that day. With Frankie being sick and in bed, John was doing his best to try to take care of his son. While John was holding baby Nick, Nick was crying really loudly.

"WAAAAAAHHHHH!" Cried Nick.

"Now now, Nicky. Please don't cry." John said as he slowly rocks his son. "I know you want your mommy, but mommy is sick right now. Daddy's gonna take care of you. I promise."

Nick still cried loudly. John was really started to feel upset about this.

"*sigh* Who am I kidding? You have all the right reasons to be crying. I'm still new to this whole "dad" thing. So what do I know about taking care of my own son?" John said as he sits on the couch. "I mean, you're still so new to this world. I bet it's all so confusing and scary. Honestly, things aren't always gonna be easy for you. Especially since we're fox."

Nick still cried but cried a bit quieter as John went on.

"I know some days might be tough for you and you just want to give up on things. But I promise you that it will all be okay. You can count on your daddy here to make you happy." John said with a light smile.

Then... Nick stopped crying. This... really surprised John, since he always cried when John held him.

"H... hey! You stopped crying. Guess you're not so afraid of your daddy anymore." John said as he lightly rubbed his fingers on Nick's face.

Little Nick then reached out and grabbed onto John's finger.

"Woah! You got some grip there. You might be as strong as your pa one day." John said with a smile.

Nick responded by smiling as well.

"Ha. Look at that smile. I think that's the first time you ever smiled for me." John said happily.

That ends the flashback. Now back with the parents.

"Since that day, Nick finally stopped crying when I hold him. Except when he needed to be fed or changed." John said. "From that day, I know that no matter what I... I..."

John was starting to tear up.

"Ah jeez! I promise myself that I wouldn't do this." John said trying to hold his tears.

"I know what you mean, John." Stu said starting to tear up as well. "One day you're giving them their bottles, the next you sending them off to their first day of school."

"They just grow up so fast." John and Stu said at the same time.

John and Stu then got off our their seat and hugged each other. Still weeping a bit.

"Why do they have to grow up? It's the hardest thing for a parent." John said.

"At least you only have ONE kid. I have to deal with each and every one of my kids growing up. It's already hard enough for one, let alone 276."

"Seems like our husbands are a little... sensitive when it comes to our children." Frankie said to Bonnie.

"I was starting to think it was only Stu who acted like this." Bonnie said. "Stu!"

"Johnny!" Frankie said.

Once their wives called them, the two got a hold of themselves and stopped hugging.

"Sorry about that, dear." Stu said to Bonnie.

"All things aside..." John said getting back on his seat. "... while Frankie and I actually have siblings ourselves, we're not really sure if we should actually have more kids or not. But we do know that we have Nick. So we're fine... at least for now."

"Yes. I agree." Frankie said nodding.

"You know, maybe the reason why Nick cried so much was that you were afraid a first. Babies are known to sense fear." Bonnie stated.

"WHAT? WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME?!" John shouted out. "No wonder why Nick always cried when I held him. He must have sensed my fear."

"You were afraid of our son?" Frankie asked raising one of her eyebrows.

"No. I was... more afraid of the whole "dad" thing." John said. "But come on. Who's really ready for it at first? It's only normal to be a bit scared. But after a while, it felt right."

"I know the feeling." Stu said. "You're scared at first, but then you get used to the feeling and it just feels right."

"Yeah. Being a good parent." John said nodding.

"Now, how about we talk about how well Nick and Judy have been getting along?" Frankie asked.

"Yeah. It seems that Nick and Judy are getting... rather close." Bonnie said sounding a bit nervous.

"Indeed. I wouldn't be surprised that in a couple of years that we all become in-laws." John said joking a bit.

All joking aside, it seems that Stu and Bonnie were taking Nick and Judy's closeness rather serious. Now it wasn't like Stu and Bonnie didn't like Nick hanging with Judy. It was just that... well... he was a fox and... a fox and bunny liking each other was... not common.

"Yeah. We were hoping we could talk to you about." Stu said in a bit of a serious tone.

"You sound worried." John stated.

"Aren't you? I'm fine with the two of them being friends. But them liking each other in another way... is... different." Stu said. "I mean they're a fox and rabbit. Aren't you two worried about that?"

"No. Not really." John and Frankie said honestly.

"Judy's a great girl. We're not that superficial. We don't care that she's a bunny." Frankie stated.

"But be honest. When have you ever seen a bunny and a fox as a... couple?" Bonnie asked.

"Never... actually." John admitted. "But I guess those two will just have to be the first."

What surprised Stu and Bonnie were that John and Frankie were so okay with Nick and Judy liking each other.

"How are you two so calm about this?" Stu asked.

"How are you two not?" Frankie asked before taking a sip of her tea.

"Look... it's just that... while Judy is quite different from us and most of our other children, we always believe that a bunny should be a bunny." Stu said. "That also means being with another bunny."

"Well, that's a one-sided way to look at things." John stated. "If other mammals only see a bunny as a bunny, then bunnies would start believing that they could only be a bunny. But the world is changing each and every single day. The same can be said for people."

"That's what growing is all about. It's only by growing with changes, that others can grow to be more than what they are." Frankie said.

It seems like Nick gets his smarts from both his mom and dad. After thinking about it, Stu and Bonnie realized that John and Frankie were right. It's true that most mammals only be what they are naturally, there were mammals that stood out and chose to be much more. While that was harder, most hard work was later rewarded.

"I... suppose you're both right about that." Stu said lightly smiling.

"Haha. Glad you agree with us." John said happily. "But I think we're all over thinking things a bit."

"Nick and Judy are still young and we can't predict what will happen in the future." Frankie said shrugging a bit. "If Nick and Judy decide to just be friends, then that's okay. If Nick and Judy decide they want to be more than that, well that's okay too. What really matters is that our children are happy. That is the most important thing for a parent, right?"

"Right." Stu and Bonnie said nodding.

"John. Francine. We're really glad to find out we've been wrong about foxes all these years." Stu said.

"Thank you, Stewie! I'm glad that mammals like you are willing to give these foxes a chance." John said happily.

John then grabbed his teacup and raised it up.

"Let's make a toast. To great friends." John said proudly.

"To great friends." Frankie, Stu, and Bonnie said raising their cups.

After some great words of wisdom and a few hours later, John and Frankie went off to bed in their guest room. While John was already fast asleep, Frankie was still up. Frankie looked at her snoozing husband and quietly tried to wake him up.

"Johnny." Frankie whispered.

There was no response. Frankie then went up to John's ears and whispered to him again.

"Ohhhhh... Jooooohny..." Frankie whispered in a bit of a singing tone. This time, John actually reacted and began to wake up.

"Uhhh... uh... What is it, dear?" John asked a bit drowsy.

John looked at Frankie's eyes and smile and could already tell what was up. She was in a mood... again. This kinda surprised John a bit.

"Here?! Right now?!" John quietly shouted.

"Yes now." Frankie answered.

"Frankie, we are guests here and there are LITERALLY hundreds of little bunny children around these walls." John stated.

"How did you think all of those little bunny children got here? I'm pretty sure not ALL of them were planned." Frankie stated slyly.

"This isn't because of the whole 'more kids' thing from earlier, is it? Cause we agreed that we would still think about it." John said.

"No. This is just for... fun." Frankie said slyly.

"I don't know." John said a bit nervously.

"Hmm... so all that bragging earlier was all talk?" Frankie said with a smirk. "What did you say about us foxes? I believe it was _we foxes are good at the dark._ "

"Alright then." John said smirking and taking Frankie's bait.

As they both went into the covers, they started to hear some sounds from the door.

"How do you think foxes sleep? Any different from bunnies?"

"How should I know? We never knew any foxes."

"Think they do what mommy and daddy usually do?"

"You mean shooing us away for some reason?"

Hearing all of this, John and Frankie halt what they were doing. John got out of his covers and out of the bed (Luckily still fully clothed). John walked to the door and opened it. It was about five of the Hopps kids. They all looked around 7 or 8.

"Ah!" The kids went.

"Shouldn't you all be in bed by now?" John asked them.

"Uhh... well..." The kids said not know how to answer him.

"*sigh* Don't worry. I won't tell you folks... this time. Just head to bed right now." John said firmly.

"Yes, sir." All the kids said.

As the kids ran off, John closes the door and went back to the bed with Frankie.

"Mood's gone?" John simply asked.

"Mood's gone." Frankie said disappointedly.

"Figured as much." John said. "Night then."

"Night." Frankie said.

The two went into their covers and drifted to sleep.

 **Alright, that's the end of this side chapter on the Wilde and the Hopps parents. There will still be 3 more to go. So sit tight on the next chapter soon everyone.**


	16. Chapter 14: WWATB Part 2

**All of my readers, rejoice! Chapter 14 is up. Feels like yesterday when I was just starting this story. BTW, LONGEST CHAPTER YET! That's why this took so long. Anyway, this is part 2 of "Wilde Weekend at the Burrows". For this chapter, Nick will be getting to know more of the Hopps kids. However, he starts to find it weird that most of them only wanted to be farmers. Even when they are good at so much other things. How will Nick deal with it? Let's find out. Now, let's start the chapter.**

* * *

It was the pass the break of dawn and the sun was coming up. Nick was still sleeping in his bed.

"Zzzzzz..." Nick snored.

Watching Nick sleep from beside his bed were Greg, Eric, Cole and Conner.

"What do you think Nick's dream about? Eric asked his brothers.

"Not sure." Greg said.

Nick then started to talk in his sleep.

"N... no! Please. No more." Nick said looking scared.

"Is he having a nightmare?" Conner said looking worried.

"Like the ones he mentioned before?" Cole said looking just as worried.

"What should we do? Should we wake him up?" Greg asked them.

"One more slice of blueberry pie? Okay. Just one more." Nick said smiling in his sleep.

Clearly he wasn't having nightmare. Just dreaming about blueberry pie.

"Oh. So that's what he's dreaming about." Greg said looking relief.

"I swear, I don't think there's a fox that loves blueberries as much as he does." Eric said. "Let's wake him up."

The four got on the bed and lightly nugded Nick a bit.

"Nick! Rise and shine, buddy." Greg said.

"Uhhhh..." Nick said as he was waking up. "Oh. Morning guys."

"Morning." The boys said happily.

Nick looked around the room. Saw that the room had some light but not as much.

"What... time is it?" Nick asked looking drowsy.

"It's 6am." Eric stated.

"6AM?! On a Saturday?!" Nick shouted out. "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS, FARMERS?" Nick then heard his comment and realized that they actually WERE a family of farmers. "Oh wait. You are. Why are you waking me up so early?"

"We have to hurry." Conner said. "Around this time is when we have to move for breakfast."

"Trust us on this one. You don't want to be one of the last ones to have breakfast." Cole said.

"What's for breakfast?" Nick asked.

"Just some oatmeal and fresh fruit." Eric said.

"Oatmeal? In that case, I'll pass." Nick said as he lays back on the bed. "I want more sleep."

"Come on. We're serious. Do you really to have to wait for 276 other kits?" Eric stated.

Then they heard a loud call. It was Bonnie.

"Kids! Breakfast time!" Bonnie shouted out.

"Ah jeez! Sorry Nick. You're on your own." Greg said as he and the others walk out the door.

Nick started to feel the ground shake.

"A earthquake?!" Nick said frighten.

It was really just all the Hopps kits running down to the dining room. After 40 seconds, the ground stopped shaking and the halls were quiet again.

"Guess it's always lively around here." Nick said to himself.

Meanwhile at the dining hall, Judy was already sitting down on a chair near the table with a bowl of oatmeal. Her brothers, Greg, Eric, and twins also were sitting down on the chair. Judy was a bit curious why Nick wasn't with them.

"Guys, where's Nick?" Judy asked.

"Still in bed." Greg stated. "Apparently, kids who aren't born in a family of farmers sleep in on the weekends."

"Aww. Poor Nick. Might be a while before he eats breakfast then." Judy stated. "Oh well. You snooze, you lose."

"Pretty cold, sis." Greg said.

About 30 minutes later and most of table was filled up, Nick finally came into the dining room.

"*yawn* Morning everyone." Nick said happily.

"Bout time you get up, Nick." Judy said. "Sorry, but you'll still have to wait if you want breakfast."

"Naw. It's cool. I get in covered." Nick said.

"Huh?" Judy and a few of her siblings said.

Nick was doing some humming as he made his way to the kitchen. He opens one of the cabinet and takes out a box of Lucky Chomps cereal. He got a bowl from the counter and pour the cereal in it. He then grabbed some milk from the fridge and pour it into the bowl. Once he was done, he got a spoon and made his way back to the table and sat on an empty chair by Judy. He then started to eat his cereal. Everyone staring at Nick had puzzled looks on their faces. Nick couldn't help but notice.

"What?" Nick asked.

"Uhhhh... what..." Greg said.

"Oh. This? Just some Lucky Chomps. See, Judy told me how it's hard for everyone to wait their turn to get food. So my parents let me bring my cereal from home here. Then we went to one of the grocery stores here in Bunnyburrow and bought some milk and stored it in your fridge. So all I needed to do was pour the cereal and milk and now I have breakfast for myself the time I want it without waiting." Nick said with a smile.

Everyone on the tables eyes widen from Nick's idea.

"What's with the silence?" Nick asked. Judy's brother, Gerald spoke out.

"276 of us... and NONE of us thought of that?!" Gerald shouted out.

"Ah ha ha... guess it's true what they say. Clever Fox, Not-So Clever Bunnies." Nick said with a smirk.

Everyone else groaned at Nick's comment. The real saying was Sly Fox, Dumb Bunny. But Nick didn't have the heart to tell them that. After breakfast, Nick went back to his room and got out a basket with a bottle of shampoo, a loofah, and a towel. He was gonna take a shower.

"Okay. Time to shower. Don't want to be a dirty fox." Nick said to himself.

As he walked down to the hallway to the bathroom, he happen to notice a huge line of bunny kits waiting outside of the bathroom.

"What the..." Nick said. "Right. Judy DID told me about the huge lines for the bathroom. I'll just go to another one."

Nick went down to the second floor to hope that there was no long line. When he went to the second floor, he realized that he was wrong. There was another long line for the bathroom.

"Are you serious?" Nick said started to get ticked.

So Nick went down to the first floor and was really hoping that there wasn't a line this time. He was wrong again. Like the other floors, there was a long line of little bunnies waiting their turn to use the bathroom.

"Aww man! This is crazy!" Nick shouted out. "How does anyone take a shower here."

"Nick?" A voice from behind him said.

Nick turned around to see that it was Greg, also with a basket of some toiletries.

"Greg!" Nick said.

"Let me guess. You want to take a shower, but the lines are too long." Greg said.

"Yeah. How do you guys get to do anything in this house?" Nick asked. "Cause I'm telling you right now, us foxes like to be clean."

"I know a spot where a shower is always available." Greg said.

"Really? Lead the way then." Nick said happily.

"Well there is... ONE... big drawback." Greg said.

"What's that?" Nick asked a bit curious.

So Greg lead Nick to a room on the first floor where Nick could take a shower in. Buuuuut... the room was large with a bunch of light blue tiles and filled with a bunch of showerheads. It was... a group shower. The room was very steamy from the hot water, so it was pretty hard to see. Even if he wasn't fond of the idea of showering beside a bunch of bunnies, he still use the shower. Eric, Cole, and Conner were some of the guys there. As the water hit him, he was still uncomfortable.

"A group shower?" Nick said not too happy. "Thought I wouldn't be taking one of these until middle or high school after gym. Let alone with a bunch of bunnies."

"Hey! Taking a shower beside a fox wasn't in our bucket list either, dude." Greg said. "But what you expect?"

"Do you know how long it would take for us all to shower if we only have ONE showerhead? It would take all day." Conner stated.

"We haven't token a solo shower in years." Cole said.

"Just keep you eyes up and focus on cleaning yourselves." Nick said while scrubbing himself with his loofah and soap.

"Anyway Nick, we're really happy that you all staying here this weekend." Greg said.

"I am too. I was a little uneasy at first, but I'm starting to get comfortable with everything here." Nick said happily. "Everyone I met has been real nice to me."

"Well if there's one thing us bunnies are good at, it's warm welcomes to our guests." Eric stated with a smile.

"Well if there's one thing us foxes are good at, it's being good guests." Nick said smiling.

As the boys continue to shower, they still talked more.

"Nick, we got to say, you're pretty lucky to have parents like yours." Cole said.

"Yeah. Not only is Mrs. Wilde really nice, but Mr. Wilde is super awesome." Eric said.

"Come now. I wouldn't say that." Nick said trying not to boast.

"What? You don't think that your dad's awesome?" Greg asked.

"No. You're right. Pop is literally the coolest dad in the planet. But I'm his kit, so I'm suppose to think that." Nick stated.

"Come on. We're serious. He's cool, he's nice, he's supportive. He's like the MVP of all dads. Is there anything else you can tell us about him?" Eric asked.

"Well... when he was a teenager, he use to work at this pizza joint in the city. So he knows how to make his own pizzas." Nick stated.

With everyone hearing that, they all paused and then shouted out.

"HE CAN MAKE HIS OWN PIZZAS?!" The bunnies shouted out.

Nick frozed with the way everyone reacted. He then spoke. "I'm... guess that pizza kinda taboo here."

"Nick, do you know how hard it is to have pizza in THIS house?" Greg asked.

One of the brown boy bunnies with a white muzzle spoke out.

"The average pizza cost $10 while having 8 slices per pizza. Our house's current residents are 278 rabbits. Subtracting the 14 babies that can't eat pizza yet, the total of pizza eaters is 264. Since the average person eat 2 slices of pizza, we would need to have 528 slices. With all of that, we need 66 pizzas with a grand total of $660." The boy said.

"Sweet blueberry cobbler!" Nick shouted surprise to hear that amount of money. "That's uhh... that's a long of dough... and I'm not talk about the pizza."

"Yeah. Pizza's rare in this house. We'll be lucky if we get it once a month." Conner said.

"Other times, someone else would buy their own pizza, but not share it because there's so many of us." Cole stated. "It's the 'every bunny for themselves' clause."

"Yeesh! I didn't think it was like that for you guys." Nick said.

"What about you, Nick? How often do you actually HAVE pizza?" Eric asked.

"Ohh... just once or twice... a week." Nick answered.

Greg just shook his head and said this. "Calling it again. Foxes have it better than bunnies."

Nick tried to hold in his laughter. He couldn't help but think it was funny that bunnies like them thinks that foxes have it better. They were starting to sound like Judy.

"Seriously Nick, compared to our dad, your dad's really different." Eric stated.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked curiously.

"Come on, Nick. You met our dad. How would you describe our dad?" Greg asked.

"Well... Mr. Hopps is really nice and..." Nick said before being halted.

"Nick, be honest." Greg said sounding a bit serious.

"Uhhh... well..." Nick said starting to feel uncomfortable. "... it's just that... no offense... but your dad can be a bit... afraid of things. I mean when he first saw me, he jumped."

"That's the word. Afraid." Greg said.

"For a while, it didn't bother us. But now, after realizing a lot of stuff, dad has been afraid of a LOT of things. Most that we have no real reason to fear." Eric said.

"Like foxes, city life, and trying something different?" Nick asked.

"Bingo." Eric answered. "But not just dad. Mom too. Mom and Dad always had a constant fear of failure. You want to know one of dad's fatherly advice?"

"If it's first you don't succeed, you should quit." Cole and Conner said.

Nick paused for a few seconds with a shocked look on his face before saying something. "That is the **worst** fatherly advice I have ever heard. It's also like the opposite of what my pop would say."

"You're telling us." Greg said. "You know, one time I was riding a bike, I fell and mom and dad told me not to get on a bike again."

"Did you listen to them?" Nick asked.

"Uhh... no!" Greg answered firmly. "It was my first time without training wheels and I didn't want to not know how to ride a bike just cause my folks were scared for me. So I practice behind their backs by staying under their radar."

"Under their radar?" Nick said a bit confused.

"He's referring to mom and dad keeping an eye on us." Eric said. "As hard as they try, it's impossible for them keep an eye on ALL of us. So while they were keeping an eye on a few of us, that's when Greg would ride his bike on his own."

"Now I can ride a bike just as good as anyone." Greg said happily.

"That's great. But I'm a little surprised." Nick said. "I'm usually always on mom and pop's radar, but that doesn't mean they discourage me from doing things. Our parents are really different. Like polar opposites."

"I know." Greg said.

After finishing their showers, the boys dried off, and put on some fresh clothes. Nick was wearing a blue and white flannel shirt over a blue shirt and jeans. Greg was wearing a red t-shirt with jeans. Eric was wearing a black shirt over a long white sleeve shirt and cago pants. Cole was wearing a white hoodie and black pants. Conner was wearing a green hoodie and white pants.

"Overall, it's not like your parents are bad." Nick said. "They do their best to provide for each and everyone of you. That's more than want I can say for most parents. Especially with a family this big."

"True. Our folks do their best to make us happy." Greg said. "But..."

"But?" Nick asked

"It's just that... well... you know the saying 'More is less.' and "Less is more.'? Since there's more of us, we get less of things. But we... we want more." Greg said.

"More of what exactly?" Nick asked.

"Everything actually." Greg said. "Does that sound selfish?"

"No. I get it. Especially after you guys told me that you don't get more than one birthday present each." Nick said while scratching the back of his head. "You want more than what life is giving you now."

"Yeah. Mom and Dad always wanted us to be 'just okay' with life. But after our trips to Zootopia, we want better than 'just okay'." Eric said.

"Ha. You guys are starting to sound like your sister." Nick said smirking.

"Ha ha. Well we are her brothers." Conner said proudly.

"It... just took us a while to start thinking like her." Cole said smiling.

"Better late than never." Nick said smirking again.

"Alright! I think we've done enough of the deep talks." Greg said. "Since it's Saturday morning, it's time for..."

"SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS!" Greg, Eric, Cole, and Conner happily shouted.

"That's right. I almost forgot." Nick said realizing that. "There also suppose to be an new episode of 'Malvex and the Zoo Force'. You guys do like to watch that show, right?"

"Okay Nick. Somehow, someway in the future, we need to make it so that we are **actual** brothers." Greg said firmly.

With that said, a couple of the kids, including Judy, went off to the living room to watch cartoons for the next couple of hours. It seem that most of them watched the same cartoons as Nick does. Which was good. As the kits sat on the couch and had their snakes of carrot sticks and blueberries, they were watching an dramatic battle on TV.

"Come on! You can beat him." Eric shouted out at the tv.

"Aww man. This isn't good." Nick said looking worried.

"What are you talking about? Malvex will win. He always does." Greg said.

"Not that. The minutes left in this episode." Nick stated. "At this rate, Malvex either beats Emperor Talvor in the next few seconds or it says "To be Continued...".

As Nick said that, he was right. The episode ended with a big "To be Continued..." on the screen. This disappointed everyone who was watching.

"Uggggggghhhhhh!" All the kids shouted.

"See? What did I tell ya?" Nick said.

"Why do they always end episodes at a bad time?" Judy asked. "It's like they don't know what they are doing to all the kids watching this."

"It's to ensure that viewers watch the next episode." Nick said.

"Well it works. Now I can't wait for next week." Judy stated crossing her arms looking pouty.

At that moment, Bonnie and Francine came in the room.

"Kids, time to do your homework." Bonnie said.

"Nick, you should do your homework as well." Francine said to Nick.

"Awwww... do we have to?" Nick, Judy, and the other kids.

Bonnie and Francine then gave out an angry stare. The sight of that, all the kids started to panic and quickly got out of the couch, chairs, and floor and dashed out.

"Uhhh... we mean... yes ma'am." All the kids said frantically.

"Your mom gives you that scary stare too?" Eric asked Nick.

"I pretty sure all moms have it." Nick answered.

As the kits walk down the hall and to their rooms, Nick, Judy, and her brothers talked about their homework.

"Well, I have a one page essay to do." Judy said. "What do you have to, Nick?"

"Math homework." Nick said not looking too happy. "I know you guys are good at multiplying, but are you good at long division?"

"Can't help you there." Greg said shrugging.

"Anyone that could help me out? How about Wendy? She's seemed pretty smart." Nick said.

"She is. But if you want A+ smart, you should go to our sister, Ellinore." Eric stated.

"Ellinor?" Nick said while tilting her head.

"Ellinor is crazy smart. Smart enough to be in college." Cole stated. "But... uhh... there is one thing you should know about her."

"What's that?" Nick asked.

"She's a bit of a shut-in." Conner answered. "Most of the time, she just stays in her room on her computer and doing the year's homework."

"A shut in that likes to do nothing but homework? Well, guess it's better than nothing." Nick said. "Which room is she in?"

Judy and her brothers told Nick which room Ellinor was in and Nick was one his way there. He went up to the fourth floor, where all of Judy's older siblings rooms were, and stopped at one of the doors in the middle of the hall.

"This should be her room." Nick thought as he stood by the door. He then knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"The door is open." A voice from inside the room said.

Listening to the response, Nick opened the door. He looked inside the room and sees a lot of math and science stuff around the room. Some science posters, beakers and test tubes on a counter, math books, and a bed with atoms on the bedsheets. Basically, this was all the definition of a smart bunny's bedroom. On a desk on her white desktop computer was Ellinor. She had dark brown fur and a black muzzle. She was also wore black glasses, a green sweater and a plaid skirt. She was around the age of 15. Currently, Ellinor was just busy typing on her computer, looking very focus. Nick then spoke out to get her attention.

"Umm... hello? Are you Ellinor?" Nick asked her.

Ellinor stopped her typing and turned around to face Nick.

"You must be Nick. Judy's fox friend." Ellinor said as she fixes her glasses. "Yes. I am Ellinor."

Ellinor still had a serious expression on her face.

"So, what brings you to my room?" Ellinor asked.

"Uhh... well..." Nick felt a bit uncomfortable around someone like Ellinor. But still talked. "Everyone said that you were really smart. So I was wondering if you could help me with my math homework."

"So... math homework, huh?" Ellinor asked not looking surprise. "*sigh* Alright. Hand me the paper."

Nick gave Ellinor his math homework paper. She then observed the math problems on the paper for it few seconds. It was all division questions.

"Okay. This should take no effort for me." Ellinor said. She then went back to her computer and put the paper by the side. "Come back later and I'll have everything finished for you."

Ellinor then went back to typing. Nick was... a little confused.

"Uhhhhhhh..." Nick said as he tries to figures out what she means.

"Oh. Don't worry. I'll be sure to show your work. You can go now." Ellinor said as she pointed at the door.

It seemed that when Nick said that he needed help with his homework, Ellinor thought he meant do the homework for him. Nick didn't really know how to feel about this. But it felt that she was okay with so he went with it.

"Well... okay." Nick said to Ellinor.

As he walked to the door and about to leave, he stopped halfway. Nick realized that even if Ellinor was willing to do the work for him, it wasn't right. That and he already promised himself that he would work hard and be more honest. Getting someone to do your homework wasn't really honest. So Nick turned back around and faced Ellinor.

"Uhh... Ellinor? While I appreciate the offer, I can't accept you doing the work for me. So... if it's okay... I rather you teach me how to do the work myself." Nick said.

Ellinor admittedly stopped typing on her computer and looked at Nick with a stunned expression.

"Wait a second." Ellinor said before taking off her glasses. "Are you saying that you WANT me to teach you the work?"

"Ye... yes. That's what I'm saying." Nick said nodding.

Ellinor then got of her chair and went over to Nick surprisingly hugged him.

"Woah!" Nick said not expected the hug.

"I don't believe it. None of my brothers and sisters ever wanted for me to tutor them. Just to do their homework for them." Ellinor stated. "I was expected the same from you. But you really want to do the work yourself." Ellinor than hugged Nick a bit tighter.

"Gah! Ellinor!" Nick said losing his breath from the hugging.

"You're a good lil fox, Nick." Ellinor said happily.

"What are all bunnies so huggie?" Nick thought as Ellinor still hugged him.

30 minutes later, Ellinor taught Nick all she could about long division and how to do it. Ellinor also put back on her glasses. After a good while, Nick was finally able to get the hang of it.

"Now, subtract that with 2 and what is the answer?" Ellinor asked.

"17." Nick answered.

"Correct." Ellinor said happily. "See? This isn't so hard now. Is it?"

"Nope. I'm pretty sure I'm an pro at this now." Nick said boasting a bit.

"That's all the questions. Looks like we're done." Ellinor said.

"Yeah. Thanks so much for the help." Nick said with a smile.

"No problem. I'm still surprised that you wanted for me to teach you instead of do the homework for you." Ellinor said.

"So, you were serious when you said everyone usually goes to you to do their homework?" Nick asked.

"Well not everyone. Some, like Judy, like to do the work themselves." Ellinor stated. "I'm pretty sure you already knew this, but Judy's a hard worker."

"Yep! Knew that." Nick said smirking. "You know Ellinor, your brothers and sisters said that you were a bit of a shut-in. But after getting to know you, you don't seem that way."

"I'm NOT a shut-in. Just... tend to say in my room most of the time. Doing... homework... and such." Ellinor said.

"Homework? Well you're a real fun-bun, are you?" Nick said to Ellinor with a hint of sarcasm.

"I don't like that fox sarcasm of your." Ellinor said tapping Nick on the nose.

"From what I was starting to think, you guys weren't too fond of foxes at all." Nick said.

"True, we all came to an unconfirmed evaluation of foxes, believing in certain facts or mammal biology. But when you think about it, foxes and bunnies are not that different." Ellinor stated. "We all have paws, ears, eyes, noses, and other things, right?"

"Right." Nick said nodding.

"I always like to learn from mistakes and rethink them. So that way, I'm smart where it counts." Ellinor said with two fingers tapping on the right side of her head.

"Oh. Guess that's why you're so smart." Nick said.

"Yeah. My smartness forces me to be a nerd-by-trade." Ellinor said as she takes off her glasses and cleans them with a white cloth. She then puts them back on. "But we all got to be something, right?"

"Yeah. You know, with your smarts and great tutoring skills, you could be a really good teacher. Or maybe ever an professor at a college." Nick suggested.

"It's true that my brain is filled with a high intellect, but the best choice for a career for me is farming." Ellinor said.

Once again, another one of Judy's siblings denies doing another one of Nick's suggestion. Nick didn't like the fact that Ellinor wanted to just be a farmer too. He felt that it was a waste of her natural talent.

"Seriously? Don't you at least one to think it over?" Nick asked.

"I did. For a while now. Trying to be a teacher or professor only has about 30% chance of success. Being a farmer's already easy enough since it's the most common bunny job." Ellinor said. "Failing is never a option for me. So I rather do the pure and simple."

Nick wanted to say a bit more, but it's not like he really has a saying in what Ellinor should do. So he kept quiet about it.

"Well... not that you overstayed your welcome, but now that you finished your homework, you should get going." Ellinor said handing Nick his homework.

"Oh... right." Nick said taking the homework. "Thanks again for all the help."

"Thank you for taking the time to know the work." Ellinor said with a smile. "Be sure to study more in your future if we always want a passing grade."

"I will. See ya, Eli." Nick said with a big smile. He then left the room.

As Nick left the room and stood around the hall, he still couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy with Ellinor's decision.

"First Gwen, now Eli? I know Judy said all of her siblings wasn't planning on being anything else besides farming. But she never mention how good they were at other things." Nick thought while scratching his chin. "Why are they not willing to do more than farming?" Nick shook his head a bit. "It's not my problem. It's not my problem."

Nick decided not to worry about it.

"Hmm... I wonder if Judy's done with her homework? Let's find out." Nick thought.

Meanwhile, Judy was still in her room by herself on her desk. No one else was in the room, since her other siblings already finished their homework. Judy still had to work on her essay. Buuuuuuuut... all she had on her paper was her name and the title "What I think evolution is?" Judy looked stumped as she waved her pencil around.

"Ehhhh... Why is this so hard?" Judy said. "This should be easy for me."

Then, she heard a knock on her door as her ears went up.

"Who is it?" Judy shouted out.

"There's a fox at your door." The voice said. It was clearly Nick.

Judy smiled when she knew who it was.

"A fox you say?" Judy said smirking. "Oh dear. I don't know if I should open it."

"I wouldn't. He seems very mischievous." Nick said in a sly matter.

Judy then walked over to the door and opened it. Nick was smirking slyly from the door way.

"Hmmmmm. He doesn't seem mischievous at all." Judy stated continuing the charade.

"Looks can be deceiving." Nick said slyly. He then lean down to Judy. "Careful. Bunnies don't let me get this close."

"That would be more believable if you didn't already smell like rabbit." Judy said as she booped Nick on the nose.

Nick stood back up and sniffed himself a bit. He realized that Judy was right.

"Aww man! I thought I showered that off." Nick said.

"Come on in, Nick. I'm still doing my homework, but I could use some company." Judy said.

Nick came into the room and close the door behind him. Nick notices all the beds.

"Yeesh! How can you sleep with so many of your sibs here?" Nick asked.

"I keep asking myself that every morning." Judy stated. "Hopefully when my older siblings move out, I can get my own room."

As Nick looked around the room, he looked at the desk and noticed something that caught his attention. On the desk was a stuff animal toy. To Nick's surprise, it was a **fox** stuffed animal. Nick walked over to it and picked it up.

"Is this... a stuffed fox animal?" Nick asked Judy.

"Oh... that... um..." Judy said starting to blush and sounding flustered. "Yes it is. But I got him waaaaay before meeting you."

"Hmmmmm... the bunny girl who's from a family of bunnies that was always afraid of foxes just HAPPEN to have a stuffed fox toy BEFORE meeting the nice fox that's her friend now?" Nick asked not buying Judy's answer.

"*sigh* Fine. You got me, you clever fox." Judy said as she takes her toy back. "I got this little guy two weeks after I met you. I wasn't sure if I would ever run into you again, so I bought him... to remind me that there is one good fox out there."

"You got him because he reminded you of me? Wow. That's... really sappy." Nick said teasing Judy a bit.

"Ha. Real nice, Slick." Judy said lightly bumping Nick on his left arm. "You should have seen how my parents reacted when I bought this. They almost flipped out and said I should get something else. But I said 'No. I want him, no matter what.' and they just let me have him."

"Hahaha! I can just imagine the looks on their faces." Nick said smirking a bit. "But it actually is nice you got him because you wanted to remember me. You wanna know something?"

"What?" Judy asked curiously.

Nick wanted Judy to get closer to him, so she did. Nick then lean down to whispered into Judy's ear.

"After I met you, I ate carrots everyday for two whole weeks." Nick whispered.

Judy couldn't help but break into laughter.

"Seriously?" Judy said still laughing a bit.

"Seriously. At least one carrot a day." Nick said happily. "I'm surprised I haven't turned into a carrot myself."

Judy giggled some more.

"I'm mean I'm already the same color as one." Nick said smiling. "That's one step."

"Heehee!" Judy giggled even more.

As Nick continue to make more jokes, Judy started hearing some voices from her door.

"All I'm hearing is laughter. What's going on?"

"Nick must be telling Judy some funny jokes."

"Hope they're not his dad's."

"So does Judy like Nick or something?"

"Excuse me for one sec." Judy said looking a bit mad.

Judy then open the door to see that in was 6 of her siblings. As the door opened, they fell down to the ground of the inside of the room. One of them was her brother August. Clearly, they were trying to listen in on their conversation. Judy was pretty mad at them.

"What are you guys doing?" Judy asked them.

"Oh... umm... we... just... wanted to see if Nick was here." August said nervously. August then looked at Nick. "Oh! There he is. Hi Nick." August then waved.

Nick waved back.

"Well... now you know he's here. Now go." Judy said pointing at the door.

"Right! Right!" August and the others said before walking out the door.

Judy then close the door just as soon as they all left the room.

"Sorry about that. My brothers and sisters have a habit of listening to others behind the doors." Judy stated. "Sadly, there is no such thing as privacy in this house."

"Was that Auggie?" Nick asked.

"You mean August? Yeah, that was him. Glad you remember him." Judy said.

"Along with Mason, Riley, Dina, Paul, and Eva?" Nick asked.

"Woah! You actually knew all of them?" Judy said surprised.

"I memorized that list and the photos you gave me. I know all your siblings now." Nick stated with a proud smile. "Not just Greg and the others, but Sue, Oliver, Victoria, Madison..."

"I believe you, Nick." Judy said wanting Nick to stop. Nick still went on.

"Cindy, Mindy, Lindy, Geogie, Rufus, Emil, Sam..." Nick said with a sly grin.

"I SAID I believe you, Nick." Judy said starting to get irritated. But Nick still went on.

"Alexander, Ralph, Emma, Lily, Dallas, Jackson, Dawn..." Nick said still with that sly grin.

Before Nick could say anymore names, Judy went up to Nick and covered his muzzle with her paws.

"Nick! If you keeping going, we will be here all day." Judy stated. "So believe me when I tell you this. I _believe_ you."

Judy then let go of Nick's muzzle.

"Just making sure." Nick said grinning.

Judy then went back to her desk and chair.

"As much as I love our conversations, I really need to finish my essay." Judy said.

"Maybe I can help. Let me see." Nick said as he walks to Judy. He placed his head on top of Judy's head. But her ears were still up. "Ears down, please?"

Judy ears then drooped down for Nick.

"Thank you." Nick said to Judy.

"Is this a thing now? You putting your head on top of my head?" Judy asked.

"What? You don't like it?" Nick asked.

"No. It's not that." Judy said. "It's just... well... how would you like it if my head on top of your head?"

"Why don't you?" Nick asked.

"You know I can't." Judy said.

"And why is that, Carrots?" Nick asked with a sly expression on his face.

"... Cause you're taller than me." Judy said not to happy about that fact.

"And don't you forget it." Nick said with a smirk. "Now, let's see this essay." Nick looks at Judy's essay paper and see that, expect for her name and the title, it was completely blank. "Uhhh... I like the title."

"I know haven't really started yet." Judy said.

"Hold on, if your essay is about evolution, you should have this in the bag." Nick stated. "You mentioned it on your play."

"I did. But after mean you, all my opinions on evolution have changed a bit." Judy said. "So much in fact that I actually had to do some more research on the subject. I found many different and interesting opinions."

"Cool beans. Tell me some of them." Nick said happily.

"You sure you won't get bored with the stuff I'm about to say?" Judy asked.

"Positive. Go ahead." Nick said happily. "But just in case, don't be surprised if I just happen to doze off on your head."

"Hmmmm..." Judy said not amused with what Nick said. She she still decided to tell him what she learned. "Well, you know how a lot of scientists are trying to figure out how we all evolved?"

"Uh huh. Uh huh. Go on." Nick said sounding interested.

"Well there are a lot of different theories on evolution." Judy said.

"Go on." Nick said still sounding interested.

"One theory is our brain adapting to knowledge little by little."

"Mm hmm." Nick said already starting to sound bored.

"Another theory is something must have happen to us doing evolution that made us change." Judy stated.

"Uh... huh..." Nick said starting to sound sleepy.

"But... one of the really crazy theories that I found out was..." Judy said.

"Uh... huh..." Nick said beginning to close his eyes.

"... that we were never meant to evolve." Judy said.

Hearing that really got Nick's attention.

"Wait! What?" Nick asked gaining his interest back.

"It's true. It may be true that us mammals were never meant to evolve in the first place." Judy said. "No one can even explain how we truly evolve. It just sort of... happen. But you know, it's not like one day we were on all 4 and the next we were on two legs and reading and writing. But that not the only things evolution did to us."

"What else did it do?" Nick asked.

"Evolving changed nearly everything about us." Judy stated. "Some mammals are taller, some mammals are shorter. Some mammals have gain new body structures. Even our lifespans are different."

"Huh. Guess it really isn't just us standing on 2 legs." Nick said.

"So Nick, what do you think?" Judy asked wanting to know what Nick thinks about this.

"Do you... really want my opinion?" Nick asked.

"Of course. Just as long as your answer's serious and not just some joke." Judy said.

"Well... Just one sec." Nick said. Nick got his head off Judy's and went to the door. He opened it and looked at the hallway. He saw that the halls were empty and then close the door back. "Sorry. Wanted to make sure no one was listening this time. Some of the stuff I might say... may not be for the faint of heart."

Judy looked a bit concern with what Nick meant by "Faint of heart".

"Alright then." Nick said as he goes back to Judy and leans his head on her's again. "Maybe you were on to something when you saying that we weren't suppose to evolve."

"So you agree with that?" Judy asked.

"More or less." Nick said. "Carrots, let me ask you something. What do you think the average ratio of prey to predators is in Zootopia? Take note, they're are more prey in Zootopia than predators."

"Ummm... like... 60:40?" Judy answered.

"More like 85:15." Nick stated.

"Seriously? There are that much more prey than predators?" Judy asked looking surprised.

"Yeah. Might be 90:10 in a few years." Nick stated. "So, do you know why the prey count is so much higher than predators? It's because when us predators evolved... we stopped eating the prey mammals."

Judy was even more surprised that Nick said that. But it was true.

"Let's say that the average prey to pred ratio in the past was close to even. One of the main reasons that would be the case is because preds ate prey." Nick stated. "But don't think of it in a scary and cold way."

"Then how should I think of it?" Judy asked looking concerned.

"Think of it as... them keeping things balance." Nick said.

"Keeping things balance?" Judy asked.

"Yeah. Come on Judy. You got to agree with me that you have a LOT of siblings." Nick said. "If predators still ate you little bunnies, as sad as it may be, it would also decrease the prey count and even make things easier for most bunnies. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Being a bunny, I can't really say that. But I do understand what you mean." Judy said.

"Uh huh. Now, what was the main reason us predators ate prey?" Nick asked.

"It was because prey was their regular source of food." Judy said.

"Correct." Nick said. "Us predators needed to eat. So we went to live prey for our nutrition. Even if it was the meek little prey. But do you know why we stopped?"

"Why?" Judy asked.

"Cause when we started to evolve, we realized something. We killed prey to eat. But in order to eat... we had to kill." Nick stated. "But after evolving, how could we? We all started to gain a conscience and began feeling bad for the prey we killed. After a while, some of us just couldn't do it anymore."

"I see. So predators stopped killing prey because they didn't want to kill anymore for food." Judy said.

"Exactly. But even so, us predators still needed food. So what did we do?" Nick asked.

"That's easy. You started eating the foods that prey usually eat." Judy answered.

"There you go." Nick said with a smile. "Predators realized that eating meat wasn't essential for us to live. So we started eating fruits and vegetables. After a while, we all started to enjoy eat that and never went back to eating prey again. Not included fish."

"Wow. So it was more than just predators growing past their savage way." Judy said. "What you say sounds true enough. But why do you think some prey still fear predators?"

"Honestly, I think it just because some mammals just can't let go of the past." Nick answered. "Yet, I do understand why they act that way." Nick then started rubbing Judy's right cheek with is right paw. "If we didn't evolve, would the two of us even be friends?"

"Probably not. Most definitely not." Judy said honestly. "But that's not the case. The two of us ARE friends. Best friends. No matter what."

"Yeah. No matter what." Nick said agreeing. "Sorry if the stuff I said was a little... scary for you. You know I would never eat you or anything like that."

"I know. And don't be sorry. You actually helped me understand quite a lot now." Judy said with a smile.

Nick then got off of Judy's head. Judy then turned around to face Nick.

"But Nick... I actually really got to know. How you ever... actually WANTED to know what other mammals taste like?" Judy asked still curious.

"Honestly, while I don't find the appeal in the outside fur, I might be a... tiny bit curious." Nick admitted. "But like I said, you know I would never hurt you."

"I know. I know. But could you give me a timeframe if you ever WERE to become interested?" Judy asked.

"Ehh... maybe in 1 or 2... hundred years." Nick answered with a grin.

"In that case, I'll be fine. By then, the worst you could do is gum me to death." Judy said with a grin.

Judy and Nick then shared some laughter. Even with a talk like that, Nick and Judy opinions on each other never change.

"Alright. I pretty sure you have enough to go on for your essay now." Nick said to Judy.

"Plenty now." Judy said happily.

"Okay then. I should get going and leave you to it." Nick said. "I want to look around the house more and meet a few more of your siblings."

"Alright. I guess I'll catch up with you once I'm done." Judy said. "Just be good and try not to cause any trouble, Slick."

"I will make NO such promise." Nick said slyly. "You know how us foxes are."

Nick then made his way for the door to leave.

"Oh. Nick! One more thing." Judy said to halt Nick.

"Yeah?" Nick asked as he stopped.

"How... do you think we evolved? What's you opinion?" Judy asked.

"Me? Well..." Nick said as he scratching his chin. "Honestly, I think it's because we **chose** to evolve. We lived each and everyday learning something new. From standing to communicating. Up until we all became this. But even with the way we are now, we're not truly evolved yet."

"We're not?" Judy asked curious.

"Yeah. Once we all see each other for who we are and not what we are, THAT'S when we are truly evolved." Nick said with a smile.

"Nick, how is it that everytime you say things like that, you seem to have the right answer?" Judy asked with a smile.

"Guess I have my folks to thank for that. Also a bit of you." Nick said with a smile. "Alright, I should get going. See ya!"

"See ya!" Judy said.

With that said, Nick left the room to let Judy do her essay. Judy looked at her fox stuffed animal and remember what Nick said. _Once we all see each other for who we are and not what we are, THAT'S when we are truly evolved._ With those words in mind, Judy picked up her pencil and started writing. As she was getting to work, Nick was walking down to the first floor and the kitchen to get himself a snack. He would usually get some blueberries, like always, but this time he decided to take a carrot. You know since there was so much of them.

While eating his carrot, Nick passed a few of Judy's siblings. They all happily greeted Nick and Nick did the same. Nick felt pretty good that everyone was so Nick to him and didn't think he was some scary fox. As Nick walked down some more, someone called out to him.

"Hey. Fox." A voice said.

"Huh?" Nick said as he turned around.

The person who called him was a boy teenage bunny. But one thing about him, was that he was pretty much in all black. A black hoodie with the sleeves ripped off that said "Whatever" in white letters. Black jeans with a few tears. Even his fur was black. Lastly, his muzzle was light grey, he had some extra fur on the top of his head, and one of his left ear seem to go down to his left eye. Out of all of Judy's siblings, he didn't seem like the most cheery out of all the kits. Nick could tell that just by looking at him.

"So... you're him? Nick? Judy's fox friend?" The bunny asked.

"Uhh... yeah. That's me." Nick answered feeling a bit uneasy. "Judging by the black fur and attire... you must be Edgar, right?"

The black bunny didn't answered yet.

"Yeesh! Not the sweetest berry in the bunch, is he?" Nick thought.

"Quick question, are you bad?" The bunny asked.

"What? No. Of course not." Nick answered.

"Next question, have you ever lied?" The bunny asked.

"Well... I can't say I haven't. But who really can? I do try to be honest most of the time." Nick answered.

"Hmmmmm. Not always honest, but honest none the less." The bunny said. "Last question, have you even **tasted** a rabbit?"

"Is this some kind of joke? Cause it's not funny." Nick said looking a bit mad. "Of course I haven't. No one has eaten anybody in centuries and it's not gonna happen again."

The bunny then put his paws in his pocket before speaking again.

"Foxes are bad news? Mom and dad were wrong about that. Foxes are dishonest? Mom and dad were wrong about that too. Watch out from foxes cause they could eat you? Once again, mom and dad were wrong. How much more foxes stuff that they told us that they are wrong about?" The bunny said.

"Uhhhh..." Nick said looking confused.

"By the way, to answer you question earlier, yes." The bunny said.

"What?" Nick said still looking confused.

"My name. Yes, my name is Edgar." The bunny said. "Oh and before you ask, yes I'm one of those 'Emo' guys people talk about."

It took him a while to mention it, but he did. Edgar was one of the first born and what he said was true. He was a bit of an emo kid. The expression on his face said that he was the kind of guy that didn't take life serious enough. Or maybe that he took life too serious. Nick didn't really know much about him.

"Oh... umm... that's... great." Nick said nervously. "Man. Here I was starting to think all of the Hopps kids were all happy and go lucky." Nick thought.

"No. Not all of us Hopps kids are as happy-go-lucky as some may think." Edgar said.

Nick's eye widen when he heard Edgar said that.

"Can... you read my mind?" Nick asked still stunned.

"No. I could just guess that was what you were thinking by that look on your face." Edgar said.

"Oh." Nick said still as stunned. "So umm... Edgar, did you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Not really. I just wanted to get a closer look at you. Is all." Edgar said firmly. "So, you're telling me that all those things that mammals say about foxes isn't all true? Hmpt! How low can us bunnies go?"

"How low? What do you mean by that?" Nick asked.

"Listen Nick, us bunnies have always lived a life of constant fear." Edgar said. "We're small and there are a lot of mammals out there bigger than us. The ones that we always feared... were foxes. Yet... foxes aren't even that big compared to other mammals. And once more, the family has become really good friends with you AND your parents. So... why is it that foxes get such a bad reputation around bunnies?"

"I can't say. I think it's mainly because foxes ate rabbits in the past. But that's all past history now." Nick stated.

"And yet there are still bunnies and other mammals out there stupid enough to still believe that foxes are dangerous. Doesn't that bother you?" Edgar asked.

Nick started to recall the time he was muzzled by the Junior Ranger Scouts. As horrible as that was, he spoke it off.

"Of course it bothers me. But I don't let it get to me. What matters is that I know who I am and not anyone else." Nick said firmly.

"What matters is that you know who you are. Right answer." Edgar said. "Sadly, that can't be said for some of us." Edgar then stopped face Nick and turned around. "Some mammals... only think that they can be what they are and not who they can be. That's how it is in this family as you may have notice."

"You mean like everyone wanting to grow up to be farmers?" Nick asked.

"Oh? Is that what Judy or our parents told you? Do you ACTUALLY believe that?" Edgar asked turning back around.

"Uhh... a lil bit actually." Nick said. So far most of the kids that Nick talked to already said that they wanted to settle with being farmers.

"I'll tell you this right now. While I can't say the same for everyone, but me... I want nothing to do with being a farmer." Edgar said seriously.

Nick was a bit surprised to hear that, but it wasn't really a happy surprised cause of the tone that Edgar used.

"Mom and dad think since that they settled with being farmers, they think that we all should do the same. But like Judy, I have more sense than to just do that." Edgar said. "Farming is the most common job for a bunny, but why should we all do it? Just because mom and dad wussed out and toke the easy way out. They're always scared of everything that is beyond what they know. And for what? Just to do the same old thing bunnies are known for. Frighten little rabbits that don't even have the guts to try."

"Now wait just a minute." Nick said staring to get mad. "While I do agree with some of the stuff you are saying, that's no way to talk about your parents. Sure Mr. and Mrs. H were scared of things and they took the easy way, but at least they work hard to provide for all you. Most kids in the world aren't even half as lucky as you. So don't go talking about them like that."

Edgar was silent and didn't really react to Nick's responded. Edgar sighed for a bit, walked to the wall, and sat down to the ground beside it. He then used his right paw to pat on the right side next to him.

"Come. Sit with me for a minute." Edgar said to Nick. "Don't worry. I won't bite if you don't."

Nick didn't really believe that all the way, but still sat on the ground next to Edgar. It seem that Edgar had a few more things to say to Nick.

"What do you know about bunnies, Nick? I'm assuming Judy told you a few things." Edgar said sincerely. "What _does_ it mean to be a bunny? Being small and timid? Doing the simple? Having a big family with more brothers and sisters than you can count? That's what most people believe. But they don't know the half of it."

"Huh?" Nick said curious on what Edgar meant.

"I have a friend and life in his house is difficult. He's a middle kid and he has 591 other siblings." Edgar said.

"Holy Cannoli! That's a lot." Nick thought with a shocked face.

"I know. It's a lot." Edgar said reading the look on Nick's face. "He says that in his family, there is nothing but havoc. So many brothers and sisters going in and out of that house. Both his mom and dad are always too busy. If they are not taking care of the babies or working, they are helping out one of their kits or resting. As you could probably guess, they barely have time for them. That's just how it is for big families like that. They don't have time for all their kids and some... just get forgotten."

"Is that... is that how it is for you?" Nick asked looking concern.

"Obvious, ain't it? Pretty much the main reason like this." Edgar admitted. "Sadness and neglect. I know it's not their fault, but like I said, that's just how it is."

"..." Nick started to have a sad look on her face.

"My friend's okay with it tho." Edgar said. "It means that his parent don't sweat things with him and he could choose to do whatever he wanted. So once's he old enough, he said that he'll move out the house and do something worth doing. I can relate to that because I want to do the same."

"You're not... serious about you being neglected, are you?" Nick asked.

"How often do you have happy conversations with your parents?" Edgar asked.

"Everyday." Nick answered.

"That's more than any of us can say. I haven't had a conversation with mom and dad in over 3 years." Edgar said. "Like I mention a few times before, that's what happens when you have a whole bunch of brothers and sisters." Edgar then look up at the ceiling. "Look at this house. As big as this place is, it's not a home. It's really a prison. Bunny parents keep their kits here just because they are afraid of the world out there and afraid for their kits. They always believe that one day predators would go at us again and eat us. But if that's the case, why hasn't it happen yet? Or more like, it will never happen and us bunnies are too up on the past." Edgar then looked back at Nick. "You know what they call us. Dumb bunnies. We believe that a bunny should only be a bunny and only do things the easy way. Go with simple and stay away from the bigger mammals. But our real enemy is not foxes. Not wolves. Not bears. Not any predator. Our real enemy is ourselves. Because we don't realize what we are doing to ourselves. Holding ourselves back. Not doing more in our lives. Then the next thing you know, we pass it down to the next generation and they do the same mistakes that we do 100 times over. It may not seem like it now, but one day... us bunnies might lead to our own downfall... and we won't even know it."

Wow. Just... wow. What Edgar told Nick was a bit... dark. Nick didn't even know how to respond to Edgar's statement. He just... stared at him awkwardly. Edgar noticed.

"That's the 'I just got told something and now I'm feel really awkward and don't know how to respond.' face." Edgar said.

"I'm sorry. It's just... that's a lot to take in." Nick said his paws on his head. "Ugggghhh. Judy told me some of that stuff. But I didn't know some of it was actually true until you told me. I wouldn't have guess that some of you had it so bad."

"It's not all bad. My little sister Judy just to meet you and it help the family start to go with change." Edgar said with a light smile. "I'm greatful for that. So... thanks."

"Oh. Umm... no problem." Nick said.

"Alright." Edgar said as he gets up. "I think this downer has brought you down enough. You should go and enjoy the rest of your day while you can."

"Umm... right." Nick said getting up.

"Take my words to heart. Or not. Whatever." Edgar said as he put his hood up. "Later... Nick."

Just like that, Edgar gave Nick the peace sign and made his way out and leaving Nick to his thought.

"Man, for a family like the Hopps, I would never expect someone like Edgar to be a member." Nick thought. "The things that he said... is it really true? Are bunnies really their own enemies? Is a big house like this really more of a prison that the parents keep their kits in? If their aren't triers like Judy, are others just bond to make mistakes and not take risks?"

All those thoughts started to pound at Nick's head. Nick tried to think about something else.

"I shouldn't think too much about it." Nick thought. "I got to do something else. Like look around some more. Maybe talk to someone else."

Trying to cheer up, Nick decided to look around the house some more. As he walks down the hall, he looked up and saw some of a whole bunch of photos hanging on the wall.

"Hey! Photos!" Nick said interested.

One photo he saw was a massive one with a whole bunch of the bunnies.

"This must be the famous 'Four hours of standing' picture I heard about so much." Nick said with a smile. "Let's see if I can find Judy."

Nick deeply looked at the photo to see if he could find Judy.

"No... no... no... there's Greg... Lily... the twins... the other twins... the other other twins. Jeez there're a lot of twins in this family." Nick stated as he still looks for Judy. Then he finally spotted her. "Got her. There she is."

Judy was smiling widely beside a few of her siblings. Nick put his left paw on the spot where Judy was and lightly smile. As Nick looked more at the picture, A white flash got his attention. Nick then sees where the flash came from. He looks to his right and sees and light brown female bunny, holding a camera. She had an orange jacket vest and tan pants. She looked like she was about 11 years old.

"Boom! The perfect shot!" The bunny said happily. "A fox in our burrows isn't something that happens everyday." She then hang her camera back on her neck. "Nice to finally get to see you face to face, Nick."

"You're... wait don't tell me." Nick said trying to guess who she was. "Slightly older than me. Light brown fur. Camera. I'm gonna go with... Cameran."

"You guess correctly." The bunny said happily. "I'm Cameran. But call me Cammy. Cammy with the camera. That's what they call me."

"Haha. From that, I can assume you like talking pictures." Nick said with a smile.

"Pretty obvious, ain't it?" Cammy said. "Yep. I've always like to take pictures of everything and everyone. Want me to take a few more pictures of you?"

"I'd be upset if you didn't." Nick stated. Nick then started posing for a bit. "Be sure to get my good side."

"Sure." Cammy said as she started taking a few pictures of Nick with her camera. "To be honest, I never actually thought a fox could have a good side."

"So I've been told." Nick said while trying to look cool.

"Okay! Got some good shots." Cammy said as she stops taking pictures.

"Great! Can you give me some copies once they're developed?" Nick asked.

"Sure. No problem." Cammy said. "So, I see you are admiring our litte wall of photos."

"Oh. Yeah. You guys have quiet a lot of them." Nick stated.

"Pssh! This is just a few of them." Cammy stated. "There just waaaaaaay too many to hang up."

"Makes sense. It's hard to find pictures of Carrots here." Nick stated trying to see if there were more pictures of Judy on the wall.

"Carrots?" Cammy said confused on what Nick meant.

"My nickname for Judy." Nick said.

"Oh. We do have a few photo albums in the backroom. Judy should be in a few of those." Cammy stated.

Nick ears then twitched a bit after hearing that there are a few more pictures of Judy somewhere. Nick then walked up to Cammy and asked her something.

"Cammy, I got to know. Are there any **baby** pictures of Judy?" Nick asked looking very curious.

"Why Nick, are you suggesting that I should show you some possibly embarrassing baby pictures of my sister that you might use against her in your leisure? Is that what you are asking me?" Cammy asked.

Nick pondered it for a bit and said. "Yes?"

"Follow me." Cammy said with a smirk.

With that said, Cammy led Nick to the room where they kept all of their family photo albums. The room looked sort of like a study with a couch and a bookshelf with a lot of books in it. Cammy was looking through the books, which were actually photo albums.

"Now... which one is J?" Cammy said.

"Wait? You... alphabetize your photo albums?" Nick asked.

"Were you expecting a elephant-sized photo album with everyone's pictures in it?" Cammy asked Nick.

"I see your point." Nick said after realizing that would be crazy.

"Here we are. The J photo album." Cammy said spotting the right album and taking it out. "Jude should be in her."

"Let me see." Nick said as he takes the photo album from Cammy. He then sits on the couch as he looks through the album to try and spot a picture of Judy. "Jackson... Jamiee... Jane... Jim..." Nick kept searching until finally... "Here we are. Judy."

Nick made it to the page where photos of Judy were. He saw the most cutest pictures of baby Judy ever. One picture was baby Judy in a cute light blue onesie. Another picture was Judy crawling with a pacifier in her mouth. Then one picture was baby Judy with a carrot plushie. Seeing all these adorable picture, Nick could barely get a hold of himself.

"Oh my goodness. Judy looks sooooo adorable in these pictures." Nick said with a wide smile. "I know I'm not suppose to call a bunny cute, but how could anyone NOT call this cute?"

"I'll give you a pass." Cammy said giving Nick the okay.

"Seeing Judy like this, I think my life is now complete." Nick said with a sly smile. He then turned the page and looked at more pictures of Judy. "For the record, I'm not gonna blackmail Judy with any of these. This is just for me. If I had asked Judy, they would be no way she would let me see these."

"Hmm. You know, Judy and you must be really close." Cammy stated. "I bet you really like being with my sister."

"Well... you know... she's okay." Nick said blushing a bit and scratching the tip of his nose. "You know... for a bunny."

"Mm hmm. Well none of us here would expect a fox like you to be such good friends with her." Cammy said.

"Why does everyone say that? It's like you guys never seen a fox friends with a bunny." Nick said.

"Cause we haven't." Cammy stated. "We also didn't expect to have foxes spend the weekend at our home. Not in a million years."

"You bunnies are fickle with everything, are you?" Nick stated not looking too happy.

"Hahaha! Don't take it too serious. That's why time changes things." Cammy said. She then lifted up her camera. "Like taking a photo, it develops over time."

Seeing Cammy with her camera, Nick wanted to know a few more things about her.

"So Cammy, what other kind of pictures do you take?" Nick asked.

"A little bit of everything. Family, friends, the fields, houses, and town, just everything I like." Cammy said with a smile. "Photography is a bit more than just a hobby to me. I always loved it. I'm one of the ones who hasn't been to Zootopia yet. But when I get the chance, I would love to see all the amazing sites and get a few shots."

"Sounds like you can make a good career in photography." Nick stated.

"I would love to. But..." Cammy said.

"Oh, please don't be say that you think you will stick to being a farmer." Nick thought.

"... I think I'll just stick to being a farmer." Cammy said.

"Another one." Nick thought disappointed.

"Don't get me wrong. If I could be a photographer, I would." Cammy said.

"Then you should do it." Nick said. "Just because it might be hard, doesn't mean you shouldn't at least try."

"I get what you are saying, but I just don't know." Cammy said looking worried. "It's not like I can make a real career and actually make good money. If it were to go south, I don't know what I could do." Cammy then had a sad look on her face. "*sigh* I'll just have to deal with being a farmer."

Nick notice the look on Cammy's face. It was definitely not the look of someone who wants to be a farmer, but someone who think she had no choice but to be one. Nick could tell that Cammy real passion was for photography.

"You know Cammy, I stand by with what I said. You don't know until you try. If you don't take the chance, you will just end up hating yourself for it later." Nick said.

Nick then stands up from the couch and gave the album back to Cammy.

"Thanks for showing me the photos... and taking the pictures of me. Hope they come out well." Nick said to Cammy. "I'm gonna get going and meet some of the others. See ya."

"Uh.. yeah. See ya." Cammy said.

Nick left the room after saying goodbye to Cammy. Nick started to have this painful feeling in his gut.

"What is it with Judy's siblings not wanting to do more? Was Edgar right with some of the things that he was saying?" Nick thought looking concern. Ehh... I have to talk to some of Judy's other brothers and sisters to be sure. "

So Nick with to some of Judy's other brothers and sisters. Sadly, they all said the same thing. Even with them all being good at certain, they all felt that they were bound to growing up and becoming farmers. It was really starting to bother Nick. But even with that being the case, a few of them actually wanted to be farmers for good reasons. Judy's older brother, Gerald, was one of them. Nick went up to the top floor and talk to him in the hallway.

"It's true. I actually WANT to grow up to do farming." Gerald said. "While everyone else says that they will settle for it, I actually want to do it."

"Is that so?" Nick asked.

"But I don't just want to farm, I want to take over the family business once mom and dad are done." Gerald said.

"Really?" Nick asked looking a bit surprise.

"Someone has to keep the family business running." Gerald stated. "The farm has being in the family for several generations. Plus I'm pretty sure that no one has carrots or blueberries like us."

"Won't argue with that." Nick said since he really loved the blueberries.

"To be honest with you, I rather not have everyone settle with being farmers too." Gerald said.

"Why's that?" Nick asked.

"Can I be completely honest with you?" Gerald asked. "Wow. I can't believe I said that to a fox."

"I'll ignore that last comment." Nick said as he crossed his arms. "Go on."

"It may seem that the farm is doing well, but we are only actually doing fair and not that good." Gerald admitted.

"Not that good? But I thought your family was doing fine." Nick said.

"We are. We are. But we could actually do better." Gerald stated. "You know how your parents weren't doing great and now they are? That's like us... but the opposite."

"What? It's that bad now?" Nick asked a bit surprised.

"Let me ask you. What's the situation in your family? Both of your parents work at your shop, right?" Gerald asked.

"Yeah. That's the case." Nick answered.

"Since both Mr. and Mr. Wilde work at the same place, that means your in a single income family instead of a double income family." Gerald said. "That's the same as our family. But the difference from our family to your family is 275 extra residents instead of 1. Not to mention that our family is still growing. So it's only gonna be harder. If we ALL grow up as farmers, how much money would we actually make for ourselves? Not... a... lot."

"Jeez! So it's like you guys are digging a deeper hole that's even harder for you to get out of." Nick stated while biting one of his thumbnails. "I always thought you guys were rich and able to make enough money. I mean the first time you all came to the city, you each had 5 Zoo-dollars on you."

"That's like everyone's month allowance." Gerald stated.

"Only that much per month? I just started to get an allowance and I get $10 a week." Nick thought. "So you're really doing that bad now?" Nick asked.

"Not yet. But it's getting there." Gerald said. "Do you know how much other farms out here in Bunnyburrow?"

"How many?" Nick asked.

"A total of 37 other farms. All family owned." Gerald said.

"WHAT?! That many?!" Nick shouted out.

"They're a lot a farms out here. Competition's tough." Gerald stated.

Nick was surprised to hear all this. He always believed that Judy's family had it easy. But with what Gerald just said, that wasn't really the case.

"Is there anything you can do about it?" Nick asked.

"Plenty. But... I don't want to bore you with the details." Gerald said.

"You won't. Tell me. I want to know." Nick said looking excited.

"Didn't think a fox would be so excited about farming." Gerald said surprised while scratching his left ear a bit. " Well... one thing I was thinking we should do is to start grow newer and different produce then our usual stuff. More... unique stuff."

"Stuff like..." Nick asked.

"We could start selling different varieties of carrots and not just the regular ones we usually sell." Gerald said.

"Other varieties?" Nick said as he tilted his head.

"Carrots don't just come in orange, y'know?" Gerald stated. "Red, yellow, white, and even purple are common colors for carrots. Heck, believe it or not, purple was actually the original color of carrots."

"Seriously? Not orange? Since all l seen are orange carrots, I wouldn't know that." Nick stated. "Learn something new everyday."

"But different color carrots aren't the only things I had in mind. I also think we should start selling turnips, parsnips, more kinds of squashes, strawberries, blackberries, etc. I want us to sell it all." Gerald said happily.

"Wow! Sounds like you really want to more from the farm." Nick said with a smile. "If that's some of the stuff that you have plan, then why don't you guys sell that stuff?"

"Dad. That's why." Gerald answered. "See, our family is known to do things the traditional way. Which includes only selling the produce we already have. But at this time and age, traditional doesn't cut it anymore."

"Tradition's fine and dandy, but people shouldn't be afraid to try something new." Nick stated.

"I agree with you on that. Otherwise, we would all still act like cavebunnies." Gerald said making a joke.

"Psst... haha! Cavebunnies." Nick said laughing. "Well... what else could you do to make money besides that?"

"One of the best things to do is to have a partnership with someone else." Gerald said.

"A partnership?" Nick said sounding curious.

"Bunnyburrow has a LOT of worthy candidates that would be good for a partnership with the farm. The best ones to go with are grocery stores and restaurants." Gerald said. "I know for a fact that there are a few good restaurants that would love to have our farm fresh veggies. I'm not just talking about the small diners, but the real hoity-toity fancy restaurants. As for grocery stores, we can do more then just give them our produces. We also have our special carrot juice, varieties of jams and preserves, and those are just the tip of the iceberg. Not just talking about our iceberg lettuce."

"Seems like you really of everything, Ger. From thinking about partnerships, to growing new crops, to making new products to sell." Nick said happily. "You should tell Mr. and Mrs. Hopps about all of this."

"Again, it's mom and dad. Back in the day, our family never did any of that and I already told you about this family and traditions." Gerald said. "That's also not the only problem."

"Another problem? What's that?" Nick asked.

"Uhhh... well... while there are a lot of worthy candidates for a partnership... the best candidates are... predators." Gerald said feeling awkward.

"Predators?" Nick said.

"Yeeeeeaaaahhhh... while mom and dad are okay with you and Mr. and Mrs. Wilde, they are still pretty cautious when it comes to other predators." Gerald admitted.

"I see. Well I know it's not their fault. I am glad that they learn to handle mom, pop, and me." Nick said.

"The predator thing aside, there is another reason why. As worthy as they could be, the main thing for a partnership to work is trust." Gerald said. "Mom and dad need a partner they could trust and not be taken advantage of. They also need to be sure that the partner's business doesn't go under. If that were to happen, even a little bit, the whole family suffers and we may never be able to recover from it."

"Woah! So they got to be careful or things could be bad for the family." Nick said.

"Right. For something like that, mom and dad need to be risk takers. Which they are not." Gerald stated.

"Yeah. They're not like my folks." Nick said. "Still you should tell them these suggestions. Mom and Pop and helping them go with change. So it would be a good time to tell them." Nick said.

"Easier said than done. But you have a point." Gerald said. "I want my family's farm to get better and give us more than what we have now. Might be a lot of work, but nothing's ever easy."

"Seems that you are REALLY passionate about the farm. I like and respect that." Nick said with a smile.

"Thanks squirt!" Gerald said smiling back at Nick.

"I hope when you takeover the family business things go great for you." Nick said happily.

Nick was actually really okay with Gerald wanted to be a farmer. He like that fact that he was passionate and wanted the farm to do new things.

"You know, you're alright. I glad that someone like you is friends with my little sister." Gerald said with a smile.

"You're not the only bunny to say that in this family and I KNOW you won't be the last." Nick said confidently. "Well, I should go."

"Wait! One more thing." Gerald said halting Nick. "You didn't... told your parents... what happen not that long ago, right?" Gerald asked nervously.

What Gerald was referring to was the time he threaten Nick at the blueberries fields.

"Don't worry. I didn't told them anything." Nick said. But then he had a wide smirk on his face. "I m ay oing gay o tay ank bay at thay or fay ow nay. (I am going to bank that for now.)"

"Ah ha... ha... ha..." Gerald nervously laughed. Hoping that even with his comment in pig latin, Nick was joking.

"E byay! (Bye!)" Nick said waving goodbye to Gerald.

So after Nick talked to Gerald, he walked more around the older kits' hall. As he walks down more, he starts to hear something. Music. Loud Rock music.

 _Dear mother, can you hear me_

 _whining?_

 _It's been 3 whole weeks_

 _Since that I have left your home._

"Wait! I know those lyrics." Nick said starting to look excited. "That's Green Hay!"

 **(Before you ask, yes. Green Hay is actually a parody name of the real band, Green Day. In the movie Zootopia, if you checked out the names on Judy's mp3, they were actual artists, but with animal parody names. So with this we can assume that most bands or artists in the real world would be animalized in the Zootopia world. Now, back to the story.)**

Nick dashed to one of the doors where the music was coming from. He still listen to them very carefully.

 _Pay attention to the cracked streets_

 _And the broken homes._

 _Some call it slums_

 _Some call it nice._

"It's coming from this room." Nick thought.

 _I want to take you through_

 _A wasteland I like to call my home_

At that moment, filled with excitement, Nick opened up the door and shouted out the last part.

"WELCOME TO PAAARIDISE!" Nick shouted out.

In the room were three of Judy's brothers. All a bit taller and older than Nick by at least 6 years. One of the bunnies had a dark grey color and a bit on the slim side. He wore a red shirt, jean jacket, and blue jean pants. Another bunny had brown fur, a bit of a sturdier body, black and white flannel shirt and white jeans. Lastly, the third bunny was a white furred and seem to be the shortest of the three. He wore a yellow shirt, a red bandana around his neck, and tan shorts. All the boys stared at Nick as he came in shouted out those lyrics. You think they would be a surprised to see a fox just waltz into their room shouting that last part out. But instead, they seemed pretty cheery.

"Heeey! Look who just came in? It's Judy's fox friend. And he's into Green Hay." The dark grey bunny said cheery.

"So you guys listen to Green Hay too?" Nick asked. "I thought you guys would be into Country."

"Ha! While Country's okay, Rock n Roll is where's it's at." The brown bunny said.

"Well... don't just stand there by the door. Come in already." The white bunny said to Nick.

Nick nodded and went into the room and close the door. One of the boys turned off the radio. He then walked to the three. The room seemed like it was meant for a music lover. Other than the radio playing music, The were a few rock band posters, one bed with some star bed sheet, a few dirty clothes down of the floor, and to everyone's surprise, a electric guitar, bass, and some drums. Even an amp. A small one, but an amp. Nick sat on the bed with two of the bunnies.

"So, you like to listen to music too?" The dark grey bunny asked.

"Who doesn't? I like to listen to in all. Not just Green Hay, but AZ/DZ, Zootallica, Zebrahead..." Nick said.

"I like this kid." The white bunny said smiling at Nick.

"Nick, right? I think we should introduce ourselves." The dark grey bunny said.

"Wait! Wait!" Nick said halting them from introducing themselves. "I've already memorized everyone's names and so far... I've got everything right. So let me guess who you guys are."

Nick took a few seconds to look at all three of them.

"Okay. I'm gonna say you are all the kits from the first litter." Nick said.

"Right." The boys all said.

Nick points at the bunny with white fur. "You're... Mikey." Nick then points to the bunny with brown fur. "You're Paul." Nick then lastly pointed at the grey furred bunny. "And that leaves you as Alexander."

"Right, right, and right!" The grey bunny said. "But you can call me Xand or Xander."

"Okay. Xand it is then." Nick said.

"So... Nickster, what brings you to our side of the burrow?" Xand asked.

"Oh. Nothing really. I was wondering around the floor for a bit and happen to hear the music." Nick stated. "That and I kinda wanted to meet some of you guys."

"That so, huh?" Mikey said. "Well it's good that you ran into us. To be honest, we knew those stories mom and dad said about all foxes were a bunch of crud."

"Sadly, I can't say all foxes aren't bad. But the same can be said about other mammals, right?" Nick stated.

"Exactly. WE know plenty of bunnies that are jerks. Bigger jerks than the stories on foxes." Paul said.

"I like you guys." Nick said smiling.

Nick really did like Judy's brothers. They seem to even be comfortable with the fact that he's a fox. Mikey then got out a box of pizza.

"You hungry? We got pizza." Mikey asked.

"Pizza?" Nick said surprised as he took the pizza box. "I thought pizza was rare in this house."

"Correction, we have an 'It's every bunny for themselves' clause." Mikey stated.

"Almost forgot about." Nick stated.

"Just don't tell anyone." Xand whispered.

"Your secret's safe with me." Nick whispered back.

Nick opened the pizza box and saw about five slices of pizza left. The pizza seem have carrots and extra cheese.

"Carrots... Again... I swear these bunnies really love carrots." Nick thought not seeming to fond of carrot pizza. "Well at least it isn't broccoli."

Nick picked up a slice and started eating it. Surprisingly, it was really good.

"Hmm... not bad. Not like the pizza in Zootopia or my pop's, but it's still good." Nick thought happily as he tastes another bite.

"So Nick, we got to know." Xand said.

Xand, Mikey, and Paul then came closer to Nick. Nick started to feel uneasy.

"What are your intentions with our little sister?" Xand asked sounding serious.

Nick almost choked on his pizza as Xand says that.

"Wh... wh... what? Intentions?" Nick said starting to get a bit scared. It was like he was getting the "If you hurt our sister" talk from three of Judy's older brothers. Nick didn't know how to respond. "Uhhh... well... you know..."

Then Judy's brothers all started to laugh.

"Pssstttt... hahahaha! Oh my gosh! He's actually taking us serious." Paul said chuckling.

"I know. It's so funny."Mikey said stilling laughing.

"Huh?" Nick said confused.

"Dude, we're just messing with ya. Take it easy." Xand said as he patted Nick's back.

"Grrr... you bunnies really are mean." Nick said a bit mad as he takes another bite of his pizza.

The boys still laughted.

"I'm surprised that you guys actually had the guts to teach me like that. Your brother, Gerald, made a comment similar to that." Nick stated.

"I know. He was worried that you would tell your parents and that they would eat him." Xand said. "We was scared for a whoooole week."

"Haha! Really?" Nick said trying not to laugh.

"Gerald not the bravest in the litter." Mikey said.

"So... you're all from the first litter like him?" Nick asked.

"Uh huh." Xand said. "You should also know that I'm not just one of the first kits. I'm THE first kit."

"So you're the oldest out of everyone, Xand?"

"By 2 seconds." Mikey and Paul stated.

"Hey! Those 2 seconds were enough to beat everyone else." Xand said looking like he was starting to have a fret.

"Can't argue with that logic." Nick said smirking. He then finished his pizza before speaking again. "So, I got to ask. Do all three of you share this room? Cause I only see **one** bed."

"This is really Xand's room." Mikey stated. "But the two of us like to hang out with him here a lot."

"Our rooms are down the hall next to his." Paul said.

"Huh. Well I can tell by this room alone you guy must really like music, Xand." Nick said smiling. "Are those your instruments?"

" **Our** instruments." Xand stated. "Mikey's bass, Paul's drums, and my guitar. The three of us are kinda an band."

"A band?!" Nick said as his eyes lit up. "That's SOOOOO cool! What's your band's name?"

"Our band name is... _Undecided Band Name_." Xand said awkwardly.

" _Undecided Band Name?_ You guys haven't came up with a name yet?" Nick said kinda disappointed.

"Hey! Give us a break, will ya? It's hard to find a good band name." Xand stated.

"Mm hmm. Cause _Undecided Band Name_ is such a _good_ name." Nick said with his fox sarcasm. "Are you guys even that good?"

"Even that good?" Xand said in fret. He didn't like Nick doubting him. Xand got out of his bed, picked up his guitar, and strapped it to himself. "Bros, let's some him what we got."

"On it." Mikey and Paul said.

Paul picked up his drumsticks and sat on the stool by his drums. Mikey strapped on to his bass. The three were now ready to play. Nick sat and watch.

"One! Two! Three! Four!" Paul shouted out as he beat on his stick.

Paul started to beat his drums rapidly to get the beat of the song started. Mikey then add some basslines to the flow. Lastly, Xand started playing some stream with his guitar. After a few seconds, Xand started to sing.

 _I got some spare change in my pocket,_

 _Some cool shades and an heart-shaped locket._

 _I got the future in front of me,_

 _With so much choice than the eye can see._

 _I got the soil on my feet._

 _My guitar and an dope beat._

 _What does the world got in store?_

 _Whatever it is I just want more._

Xand started making some more rips on his guitar. After keeping the beat going for a few more seconds, the boys stopped playing. It was the end of the song. Now they just waited for Nick's responded.

"That's the only verse we have so far. The song is this a work in progress. How was that?" Xand asked Nick.

"THAT... WAS... AWESOME!" Nick stated. He then got up and went to them. "You guys are really good. Like REALLY good. How you learn to play so well? Those lyrics were pretty good too."

"Xandy wrote it for some girl he's gaga for." Mikey stated before snickering.

"Shut up. He didn't need to know that." Xand said a bit ticked as he punches Mikey in his shoulder.

"Oww! Hey you can't complain with the results." Mikey said rubbing his shoulder where Xand hit him.

"So you do this band thing often?" Nick asked.

"We just started a few months ago. Toke us a while to actually play good." Paul stated.

"So we haven't really done the band thing enough." Xand said. "Never even had a real gig or anything. Most of the time we just jam in this room."

"Well... who's know? Maybe one day, you will get a gig. Heck, I wouldn't be surprise if you become an actual band one day." Nick said happily.

"You... seem to have a lot of hope in us." Xand said a bit surprised.

"Of course. Don't you?" Nick asked.

"Honestly... it's really more of a hobby. We don't think we'll keep the band thing when we grow up." Paul said.

Nick was a bit upset to hear that.

"Then... what do you guys plan to do?" Nick asked looking like he was afraid to ask.

"Well... I guess like everyone else in the family..." Xand said before being halted by Nick.

"No! Please don't say that you'll just "settle" for being a farmer?" Nick asked looking a bit mad. The boys didn't respond. "Don't say you'll just settle for being farmer."

"*sigh* What do you want us to say, Nick?" Xand asked looking sad.

"You got to be kidding me." Nick said looking upset. "What is with all of you? You're all good at other things, but you all want to just throw that away and settle for being farmers."

"Nick, we get what you're saying. But... we're just trying to be sensible." Xand said. "Do you know how many bands out there don't succeed? We can't just wing it on chance. Same for anything else. So... it's best that we just stick with farmer. You understand, right?"

"Oh I understand." Nick said getting mad. "I understand that everyone in this house but Judy doesn't has the guts to actually try and do something more. I swear, no matter what you guys are good at, you just want to waste your talents and settle. Do you honestly want that?"

Neither Xand, Paul, or Mikey could think of what to say to Nick.

"You know what don't bother answering." Nick said. He then went to the door. "You know those lyrics, _whatever it is I just want more,_ I think you should listen to that part more."

With that said, Nick left the room leaving Xand and the others to think.

"Should we stop him and talk to him?" Paul asked looking concern.

"No. Let's just give him some alone time." Xand said.

As Nick stood by the hallway, he couldn't help but think about everything. About Judy's siblings, about them not wanting to do more, about them giving up before starting. It was the last straw. Nick have had enough of doing nothing. He had to do something about this.

"I have to talk to Judy." Nick thought.

Nick dashed downstairs where Judy was. She had finished her homework and was talking to 2 of her sisters. Nick walked over to Judy and called out her.

"Judy!" Nick said.

"Nick?" Judy said as she turned around face Nick.

"Hey Nick." Judy's sisters said greeting Nick.

"Hey." Nick said to Judy's sisters before going back to looking at Judy. "Listen Judy, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Now? Can it wait?" Judy asked.

"Nope." Nick said.

He then lifted Judy up and carried her away.

"Hey!"Judy shouted out.

"Sorry, but I'm borrowing your sister." Nick said to Judy's sisters.

Judy's sisters were confused at first, but then they just shrugged and not worried about it. Nick carried Judy to an empty hallway, while Judy was still making a fuss of Nick carrying her.

"Nick! Put me down." Judy said.

"Okay. Okay." Nick said finally putting Judy down. "By the way, you are really light."

"Do you mind telling me why you carried me here?" Judy asked.

"It's you family, Judy." Nick said looking serious.

"What's wrong?" Judy asked looking concern.

"Your brothers and sister... they're all good at stuff. Really good at stuff. Yet they all want to waste it and settle for being farmers." Nick said.

"I know. I told you that before, didn't I?" Judy said.

"And that doesn't bother you?" Nick asked.

"Of course it does." Judy admitted.

"Then we should do something about it. I don't want you family to become their own enemies and led to their own downfall." Nick stated.

"I guess you met Edgar." Judy stated since Nick said that.

"But you can't say he isn't right. Carrots, we have to do something to make them want to at least try." Nick said firmly.

"Nick, I won't argue with you and say you're not right. But you have to trust me when I tell you not to do anything rash." Judy said. "There's a reason why I haven't done anything about this."

"What's the reason?" Nick asked.

"I can't say. You'll just have to trust me." Judy said. She then held Nick's right paw with both of her paws. "Nick, I need you to promise me you won't do anything crazy."

"But..." Nick said.

"Promise me." Judy pleaded.

Nick didn't want to just keep to himself and do nothing. But Judy wanted Nick to promise her. Nick put his left arm behind his back before responding to Judy.

"Okay." Nick said looking disappointed.

"Good." Judy said.

Judy then let go of Nick's paw and went back to her sisters. But she walked away, she didn't notice that Nick had his fingers cross when he put his arm behind his back.

"I'm sorry, Judy. I don't like lying to you, but I can't just do nothing." Nick said to himself. "Guess I'm on my own for this." Nick started to scratch his chin. "Now... how do I turn a family of settlers to a family of triers. I think the answer is simple. We just need some sly fox logic." Nick then smirked slyly as he rubbed his paws together. "Lucky for them, I just happen to be that sly fox. Hehehe!" Nick then realized that he was talking to himself. "I probably shouldn't be talking to myself."

 **Seems like Nick has a plan to turn some of Judy's siblings into triers. But is that possible for just one little fox? Guess you will have to find out next chapter.**


	17. Chapter 15: WWATB Part 3

**Here comes chapter 15. Okay, first off, you guys are really showing me love for this story. The last chapter got over 20 comments in the first day. I never got that much in one day. A week, but never a day. Also, this story now has 200 faves and 250 followers. I am so happy that everyone is loving this story and hope it becomes more popular in the future. Now for this chapter, Nick's gonna use his sly fox logic to help change the minds of the Hopps children to become tries. It should be easy enough and have absolutely no after effect. Right? Right? Let's... see what happenings?**

* * *

After finding out about Judy's family being settlers, Nick decided that he was gonna do something about it. Even when Judy told him not to, Nick didn't want to listen to her. Nick liked her siblings too much to just do nothing. So he decided to do things on their own. Now... who should Nick convince first? Nick decided that the first person he would try to convince was Judy's older sister, Gwen. Since Gwen was most likely taking care of the babies, Nick headed into the baby room. As expected, Gwen was there. Nick peeked at Gwen from the door before coming up with a way to talk to her. Nick was ready to begin Operation: Settlers to Go-Getters.

"The predator sees his first target." Nick thought as if he were on a mission. "Target: Gwendolyn, AKA, Gwen. Second born and known to take care of her younger siblings. Objective: Prevent her from settling too soon. I'm going in."

Nick stopped peeking and enter the room.

"Hello again Gwen." Nick said happily.

"Oh. Hey Nick." Gwen said happily as she was holding one of the babies. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you again." Nick said. "Sooo... do you REALLY want to settle with just being a farmer?"

"We already discuss this, Nick. Yes. I'm sure." Gwen said.

"Heehee! Now's the time to strike her with fox logic." Nick thought as he grinned. "Okay then. Well good luck with whatever time you have left before that." Nick said shrugging and as he was about to leave.

"Wait! What do you mean by that?" Gwen asked she put the baby down in their crib.

"Well... right now you are... 15, right? From what I heard, your parents got married young and also settled young too. If that's the case, you'll only have a few more years left of just having fun." Nick stated. "It might only be a few years until you're just like your folks."

"What are you talking about?" Gwen asked confused. "Come on. I'm nowhere close to... wait a second."

Gwen then started to think about things. Right now, her parents were in their mid 30's and she was 15. So they must have had her in their early 20's. Meaning that if she did end up like them. She would only have 5 years of fun left. This... made Gwen kinda panic.

"Oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH! I don't want to settle THAT soon. I'm not ready." Gwen shouted out holding down her ears.

"Not so loud." Nick whispered. "The babies, remember?"

"Sorry." Gwen said trying to be quieter. She then walked over to Nick. "You're right. I'm gonna be 16 in a few months and then what? I've barely done anything in my life cept taking care of my little brothers and sisters."

"Do you even get paid for it?" Nick asked.

"Now that you mention it, no." Gwen said looking mad.

"Well, if you actually babysit other kids, you would get paid for it. Same if you actually ran your own daycare one day." Nick said. "But you should remember to live a little while you're still young. You're only young once, right?"

"You know what? You're right." Gwen said agreeing with Nick. "I am **definitely** not ready to settle just yet. I need to live a little while I still can."

It seem like Nick was able to convince Gwen to change her mind. Nick felt like patting himself in the back right now.

"Well, everyone here is asleep. I'm gonna let them sleep while I do something for myself." Gwen said smiling. She then shook Nick's paw. "Thank you Nick. For reminding me to enjoy things now before settling."

"No problem." Nick said happily.

Gwen then left the room. Nick had a wide smirk on his face.

"One bunny down, a bunch of other bunnies to go." Nick said still smirking.

With Gwen changing over from being a settler, Nick decided to go to the next person. He decide he should go to Ellinor next. Now Ellinor was gonna be tough, since she was so smart. But... even the smartest person can miss the smallest details. Nick already went to Ellinor's room to talk to her. As expect, Ellinor was on her computer again.

"We been through this. Being a farmer's the easiest option for me. Trying to be a teacher only has a 30% chance of sucess and like I said, failing is never an option for me." Ellinor stated.

"It's still failing." Nick simply said. This got Ellinor attention and she stopped typing. She then looked at Nick directly.

"What are you talking about?" Ellinor asked.

"Well... my pop is always giving me advice. One of the advice he gave me is "The only shots you miss 100% are the ones you don't take". If you don't try, it's still failing." Nick stated.

"What? No it's not." Ellinor said.

"Is it now? Is it really?" Nick asked. "Let me ask you something. What happens when you get homework or a test that you choose **not** to do?"

"You... get a 0." Ellinor said.

"And a 0 is a..." Nick asked smirking a bit.

"A failing grade." Ellinor answered. "But... that's different."

"Is it? Cause not choosing to do homework or a test and not choosing to do something worth doing sounds pretty close to the same thing." Nick said slyly. "Buuuuuut... I guess that's just me saying that."

"Hmmm. Choosing not to follow something you should be doing still counts as failing? I may need to reevaluate everything." Ellinor said. She then go back into typing on her computer. "I'll take your words into consideration."

"Thank you." Nick said smiling.

Nick was then about to leaving the room, but was stopped by Nick

"Hold it." Ellinor said stopping Nick.

"Yes?" Nick asked halting near the door.

"Don't think I don't know what you just did. You're clever, I'll give you that. But you're not THAT clever." Ellinor stated.

"I have **no** idea what you are talking about." Nick said slyly. "I just made some subjections for my dear friend's sister cause I want her to follow her own interest. That's all."

With that said, Nick left Ellinor's room. Ellinor lightly smile a bit after Nick left. Nick was smiling quite a bit himself as he walked down the hall.

"Two down. So far... so good." Nick thought happily. "Now, who's next?"

"Hey. Nick." Someone from behind Nick said.

Nick turned around to see who it was. To his surprised, it was Edgar again. Edgar had his paws in his hoodie pockets and slowly walked over to Nick.

"Oh! Hey... Eddy. What's up?" Nick said sounding a bit nervous.

"Don't... call me that. It's Edgar." Edgar said firmly.

"Ri... right. So what is it, Edgar?" Nick asked.

"I know what you're up to." Edgar said.

Edgar knew what Nick was up to? Did he really knew? Nick was starting to panic a bit.

"What? I'm not up to anything." Nick said frantically.

"Save it. I can tell what you're planning just by the look of your face." Edgar stated.

It seems like there was no point in hiding things around Edgar. So Nick didn't bother to try and hide it.

"I didn't want to just do nothing about this." Nick said. "Your family is really amazing and they shouldn't settle when they can do more. I have to do something about it."

Edgar sighed and then slowly walked over to Nick. He went into one of his pockets and gave Nick a folded piece of paper.

"Take it." Edgar said as he hands the paper to Nick.

"What's this?" Nick asked opening up the piece of paper. He sees that it's a list with a few names of the Hopps kids and something they liked to do.

"A list of some of my brothers and sisters and a few of the things they are interested in." Edgar simply said. "Perhaps you can use this to help you out. You already know everyone, right?"

"Wait? So you're giving this to me to... help me?" Nick asked surprised.

"I'll be honest. Nick, you, your parents, and the visits to Zootopia are the best things to ever happen to this family. I rather not have us as pack of boring bunnies. So if anyone's gonna make this family change, it's you." Edgar stated. "Use the list... or not. Do what you want."

Edgar then started to walk away.

"Edgar! Wait!" Nick shouted out.

"Yeah?" Edgar said as he turned back to Nick.

"Thanks!" Nick said with a smile. "I know it seems like you are this dark guy who doesn't care about anything. But you really do care about your family. That's good to know."

"Hmpt! Just because I'm emo doesn't mean I don't care about things." Edgar said with a light smile. "Well... good luck to you."

Edgar waved back at Nick and was now on his way. Nick look at the list that Edgar gave him.

"This will help me out, big time." Nick thought smirking. "Now... let's get to work."

Nick now went to several of the Hopps kids to convince them to be triers. Nick knew everyone and with list telling each of their interest, it made things easier. He went to Matt about becoming a chef. He mention things about one day he might become a famous chef like Gordan Ram'sey or Mario Bulltali. The idea excited him enough to convince Matt to try it. He also went to Cammy to convince her to be a photographer. Nick told her about the world having amazing sites that people have never seen before. Oceans, mountains, historical finds. All things amazing. Just the thought of those made Cammy's eyes lit up. After that, she realized that she wanted to do that stuff instead of being a farmer.

So things were going great so far. Nick got several more of Judy's siblings to switch over from being settlers to tries. Telling everyone from the youngest kids to the oldest kids to be teachers, scientist, repairman, construction workers, musicians, inventors, innovators, explorers, anything that they would like to do. Just as long as it makes them happy.

After talking to over what seemed to be a hundred or so of them, Nick decided that the last guys he would talk to about this would be Xand, Mikey, and Paul again. He went up to Xand's room and he and the others were still there. Nick still tried to act naturally.

"Hey guys!" Nick said still greeting the boys.

"Nick, you're back." Xand said.

"Sorry about earlier." Nick said referring to his outburst from before.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it." Xand said.

"So, what brings you back here?" Mikey asked.

"I just wanted to ask you guys about something." Nick said. "Why is it that everyone wants to settle for being a farmer anyway? I mean, I understand why a few you want to be farmers. Gerald explained some good reasons. But I don't see why you all have to do it."

"Nick, it's like we told you before. It's the best job for us." Xand answered.

"For all of us." Paul said.

"Is it? Cause from what Gerald told me, that's not such a good idea." Nick said.

"What do you mean?" Xand asked.

It seem that Nick got Xand and the other boys' attention as he mentions that. While Nick wasn't smirking slyly on the outside, he was on the inside. He now just needed to say the right thing.

"According to Gerald, you're a single income family with 278 residents all living together. You're a single income family because both of your parents work on the family farm. If you all work in the farm then you will still be a **single** income and only gain the money the farm makes. However, if you guys were able to get your own jobs, you would be able to make your own money. You work in the farm, you make money for the family. You work at another job, you get money... for yourself." Nick stated. "Do you guys see where I'm getting at?"

Xand, Mikey, and Paul's eyes all widen as they think about it. They realized that Nick was absolutely right.

"Dudes, he's totally right." Mikey shouted out.

"It's no wonder why don't have much things for ourselves and only get one birthday present. That and we have to share everything. Including underwear." Paul stated.

"I did NOT need to know that." Nick said in disgust.

"In fact, I'm wearing one of my sister's undies right now." Paul stated.

"Again, did NOT need to know that." Nick said in disgust again.

Xand got up from his bed and went over Nick.

"Nick, you just gave us a LOT to think about now." Xand said. He then started shoving Nick out the door. "Thanks for that. Sorry to rush you, but we got a few things to talk about."

"Okay. You can stop pushing. I can see myself out." Nick said wanting Xand to stop pushing. He did so. "Well, later guys."

Nick then left the room, feeling pretty accomplished.

"Well that work out well." Nick thought as he brushed his paws together. "Okay. I think I've done enough for now. Time to go to Judy and tell her the good news."

As Nick happily walked to find Judy, he didn't know what Xand, Mikey, and Paul were discussing.

"So, can you believe that we were actually okay with all of this?" Mikey asked his brothers.

"I know. It's no wonder why no one gets by in this family." Paul said crossing his arms.

"If that's true, does that mean mom and dad are just using us for labor?" Xand asked. "They don't want us to succeed in anything else cause they all just want us to work here with them for cheap. Well I'll tell you this, right now. Now of that ends today."

"Yeah!" Mikey and Paul shouted out agreeing with Xand.

It seemed like Nick sort of... misguided them a bit. This may not bold well. Meanwhile, Nick was striding with a happy look on his face.

"I wonder how Judy's gonna react when I tell her the news?" Nick thought. "She might get mad at first, but after a while, she's probably gonna be super happy and give me a nice bunny smile like she always does. Gotta find her so I can tell her."

Judy was in the living room watching TV with a few of her siblings on the couch. Nick made his presences known by getting in front of Judy.

"Hey Carrots!" Nick said happily.

"Oh! Hey Nick." Judy said but still trying to watch TV. "Do you mind moving? You're in the way."

"Come on. I wanted to talk to you about something. Something good." Nick said with a big smile.

"Is it that important?" Judy asked.

"Very." Nick stated.

"Alright Slick." Judy said as she jumped off the couch. "What is it?"

"Let's talk more in the hall." Nick said to Judy.

"Okay." Judy said.

Nick led Judy to the hall, where the two could be alone. Judy couldn't help but notice Nick smiling quite a bit.

"You're looking a bit cheerier than usual, Slick Nick." Judy said. "This thing you want to tell me must be pretty important."

"It is." Nick said still grinning.

"Alright. I'm all ears." Judy said with her ears up. Nick chuckled a bit before talking.

"Welllllllll... you know all your brothers and sisters?" Nick asked.

"Yeah?" Judy said.

"I used some of my "fox" logic on some of them annnnnnd... I got to convince them to be triers like you." Nick said happily. "Huh? Huh?"

You think that Judy would respond by being happy about what Nick just said. But with Judy's ears drooping down, her nose twitching, and having a feared look on her face said otherwise.

"You... WHAT?!" Judy shouted as he grabbed Nick by his shirt.

"I... uhhh... convince your siblings to become triers." Nick said a little scared from the way Judy was grabbing his shirt.

"How many?" Judy asked looking serious.

"What?" Nick asked looking confused.

"How many of my siblings did you convinced?" Judy asked still looking serious.

"About... half. But I also told them to pass what I said on to each other." Nick said.

Judy then let go of Nick's shirt and then started to panic. It look like she was biting the nails on her paws a bit.

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers! Oh sweet cheese and crackers!" Judy said in a panic matter.

"Uhhh... Judy? What's with you?" Nick asked looking confused. "I thought you would be happy to hear this."

"Don't get me wrong. I am sort of happy. But Nick, there is a **reason** why I told you not to do this." Judy said firmly to Nick.

"What's the reason?" Nick asked. "Is there a problem with your siblings?"

"The problem is not my siblings. The problem is my parents." Judy said. "Maybe I should explain things in another way. Nick, you know that game with the wooden pegs that you stack up together?"

"You mean Junga? **(It's actually Jenga.)** Of course. My family just loves to play that." Nick said. "We have the super jumbo one. Mom makes us all wear hard hats when we play it. Next family game night, you should come and play with us."

"Focus, Nick." Judy said.

"Sorry. Go on." Nick said.

"Now... picture a huge Junga tower." Judy said to Nick.

Nick did what Judy said and started to picture a huge Junga tower in his head.

"Consider the whole tower representing my family and it standing being the stability of my parents. Then consider each peg as all of kids." Judy said to Nick. "Now, think about the tower being perfectly formed with no pegs removed yet. But... one peg decides to be a trier and is removed from it's old place and is stacked up to the top."

"That's... you, right?" Nick asked.

"Right. Now even though the peg is at a different place, the tower still stays stable. But then... another peg decides to be a trier too and is stacked up as well. The tower's still fine. But then... "Judy said as she gets more serious. "... more pegs get moved up. Then more and more after that. The tower may still be standing but it starts to get wobbly and it's starts to get harder for it to stand. The perfect looking tower start looking unrecognizable. After so many pegs being moved, the tower gets more and more unstable. Then... just **one** more peg get moved and then..."

Judy didn't even need to finish. Nick imagined everything. The image of the highly stacked tower as it started to crumble gave Nick enough to think about. Now he started to be the worried one.

"Oh man." Nick said looking worried.

"Get it now? If my mom and dad find out that so many of us want to be triers now, it would nearly kill them." Judy stated.

"Oh jeez! Oh jeez! What did I just do?" Nick asked himself as he puts his paws on top of his head in a panic fashion. "Why didn't you told this sooner?"

"I thought you would have figured that out yourself. You seen my parents." Judy said.

"Okay. Maybe... it won't be so bad." Nick said trying to calm down. "Maybe we are just overthinking everything."

If only they were overthinking things. But the angry mob of Hopps kids coming down the hallway said otherwise. They were all being led by Xand. They all didn't seem to happy.

"What do we want?" Xand shouted.

"Multiple opportunities!" The other kids shouted.

"When do we want them?" Xand shouted.

"Now!" The other kids shouted.

"What do we want?" Xand shouted.

"Multiple opportunities!" The other kids shouted.

"When do we want them?" Xand shouted.

"Now!" The other kids shouted.

The kids would continue to shout that out while passing Nick and Judy. Now Nick and Judy were really freaked out.

"Great job, Nick. You may have just started anarchy in our home." Judy said looking mad at Nick.

"Ah ha ha... sorry about that." Nick said trying to apologize while scratching the back of his head.

"*sigh* Now I got to fix this before it escalates even higher." Judy said with her palm in her face.

"I'll help you." Nick said.

"You helped enough." Judy stated to Nick. "I think it's best if you just stay out of this."

"But Judy..." Nick said really wanting to help.

"Nick, please? Just leave for a bit and don't get involved with anything else." Judy said sounding a bit serious. "I'll take care of everything by myself. Just do want I tell you for once and stay out of this."

Judy then stormed out to the mob that was her brothers and sisters, leaving Nick to be alone. Nick felt bad for what he cause. So this time, he decided to do what Judy said and leave for a while. Nick grabbed a few juice boxes and blueberries from the fridge and left the house.

Nick walked outside, carrying a brown bag, and decided to head to the lake where he and Judy went to. While doing that, he was deep into his thought.

"So... let's recap everything. In your attempt to help a family of bunnies become triers, you had to... go behind your best friend's trust and kickstarted a riot in the home of said best friend. Now you may have cause something that kills your best friends parents. Nice job, Nick. You're a real hero." Nick thought sarcastically at the end. "You really made a mess of things this time."

As Nick was near the lake, he happen to notice that someone was already there. Someone he already knew quite well.

"Isn't that... Gideon?" Nick thought.

With the kids being a fox and wearing overalls, it was no doubt that it was Gideon Grey. It seem that he was throwing pebbles in the lake like the time they did before. Out of all people, Gideon was definitely the right person Nick could talk to.

"Hey! Me in overalls! Over here." Nick shouted out to get Gideon's attention.

"That you, City Boy?" Gideon shouted as he turned around to face Nick.

"You know it." Nick shouted out with a smile.

He then ran to meet up with Gideon face to face. Both foxes seemed pretty happy to see each other.

"Hey Gid!" Nick said greeting him and with his fist out, wanting Gideon to bump it.

"Nick!" Gideon said happily as he bumps Nick's fist. "When did you get here in Bunnyburrow?"

"Got here yesterday." Nick stated. "My folks and I are staying over at the Hopps' house this weekend."

"A family of foxes spending the weekend with a family of bunnies? Ha! That's something you don't hear everyday." Gideon chucking a bit.

"You're sounding like Melvin since he said the exact same thing." Nick said. "So what brings you here again?"

"Just skipping pebbles. I've gotten a lot better now." Gideon said happily. He then picked up a pebble and throw it at the lake and it skipped 5 times before sinking. That last few times, it just sunk. The face that it didn't this time was proof enough. "See that? Better."

"Not bad." Nick said with a cocky smile. He then picked up a pebble from the ground himself. "But..." He then threw the pebble and it skipped 10 times on the water before sinking. "... I'm the better one."

"No one likes a show-off, City Boy." Gideon said pouty a bit.

"They do. They just don't want to admit it." Nick said with a sly smile.

Nick then walked to Gideon and patted him on the shoulder.

"Come on. Let's sit and talk." Nick said to Gideon.

"Okay." Gideon said.

The two foxes walk to a big log by the lake and sit on it. Nick then went into his bag, got out two apple juice boxes, and gave one of them to Gideon.

"Here." Nick said offering him the juice box.

"Thanks." Gideon said accepting the juice box.

They take out the straws strapped to the back of the boxes and poked them into they juice boxes. They both take sips of their juice as they look at the water. Nick decided to speak first.

"So Gideon, how have things been for you?" Nick asked.

"A lot better, actually." Gideon said looking happy. "More people are trusting me, I have more friends, and I don't have bully anymore. Life's been good for me now. How about you?"

"Well, my folks are happy, store's doing well, bills are paid, and I got a whole mess of friends now. It seems that life's been good for both of us." Nick said happily.

"I would say we have a certain bunny to thank for that." Gideon said referring to Judy.

"Yeah. I can't even imagine how things would be without her friendship." Nick said. "*sigh* But now, I might have just screw that up."

"Huh? What's wrong?" Gideon asked looking concern. "Talk to me."

"Well..." Nick said.

Nick told Gideon about what happen. He told Gideon that he found out that nearly all of Judy's siblings settled for being farmers when they were good at other stuff. Nick could him how uncomfortable he felt about that. So even when Judy told him not to, he decided to convince most of them to be triers. But doing so, may have mess with the stability in the family.

"And now, I may have cause anarchy in the Hopps house." Nick said.

"An-art-key?" Gideon said confused. "What does an art key have to do with what happen?"

" _Anarchy_. Basically, mayhem in the home." Nick said with his head down. "Judy told me not to do anything and I went behind her back. I broke her trust and now she's really mad that I made a mess of things."

"I see. Well don't worry about it too much. Your heart was in the right place and you know Judy's not someone to stay mad at someone. Let alone you." Gideon stated.

"You're right. Thanks." Nick said taking another sip from his juice box.

"You know, I got to say. Know that I've gotten to know her, Judy is really quite amazing." Gideon said smiling a bit. "She works hard and never wants to give up on her dreams. She's really really awesome.

"Yeah... yeah. She is." Nick said starting to look a bit angry.

It was happening again. Nick was starting to feel that boiling feeling inside his chest. He was feeling jealous of Gideon again.

"There's that boiling feeling again. Keep calm, Nick. Keep calm." Nick thought to himself.

Gideon was starting to notice that Nick was looking off.

"City Boy, is something wrong?" Gideon asked.

"No. Nothing's wrong. It's... great that you been getting along with Judy so much and are even spending a bit more time together. It's just... great." Nick said while looking like he didn't mean it.

"Hmmmmm..." Gideon said knowing something was up. "Nick, you wouldn't have to be..." Gideon then toke a sip of his juice box before saying his next thing with a sly look on his face. "... _jealous_ , would you?"

Nick responded by spitting out his juice in a surprised fashion. Out of all the words that Gideon had to use, it just had to be **that** word. Jealous.

"Je... je... jealous?" Nick said frantically. "Wh... wh... why would I be jealous?"

"City Boy..." Gideon said not buying it.

"Fine, I'm jealous. Jealous that she got to try your blueberry pie." Nick said trying to change the subject a bit. "You know that I wanted to try it."

"I'm not talking about that pie. I'm talking to you about Judy." Gideon said.

"Again, why would I be jealous?" Nick asked still trying to play dumb.

"Well... Judy and I both live in Bunnyburrow... and you don't. We both go to the same school... and you don't. We could hang out any day we want to... while you only see her during weekend visits." Gideon said slyly.

"What? You think that bothers me?" Nick asked when in reality, it did bugged him. A lot.

"Oh ho ho! This is rich. You think I'm trying to steal your little girlfriend, are you?" Gideon asked with a smirk.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Nick shouted out angrily and blushing a bit.

"Right. Right. She's your girlfriend... with a space in the middle." Gideon said still smirking.

"Grrrrr..." Nick growled.

"Look, if you're worried that I'm gonna steal her away from you, don't be." Gideon stated. "I like Judy. But I don't "like" her like that."

So Gideon **doesn't** "like" Judy that way. You think Nick would be relief to hear that, but Nick still look like he wasn't buying what Gideon was saying. Yet, he didn't want him to know that.

"I'm not _worried_. Judy and I are just friends. _Friends_." Nick stated.

"But you want to be more, do you?" Gideon asked. "Don't lie. I see the way you are with her sometimes. You "like" her. No. Scratch that. You don't just like her. You **love** her."

Love? Did Nick really love Judy? One thing that was sure, Nick seem VERY sensitive about the subject.

"BAAAAHHHH!" Nick shouted out flinching and blushing quite a lot. "DON'T say that word."

"What? Lo..." Gideon said before being cut off by Nick.

"YES! THAT WORD!" Nick shouted out. "Don't you even think about using that word."

"Oh come on. It's not that big of a deal." Gideon said as he shrugged.

"Yes it is." Nick said. Nick goes into his bag and takes out his blueberries. "Look, I **love** a lot things. I love my parents. I love video games. I love blueberries." Nick then toss a few blueberries into his mouth and ate them. "But... saying that you... "L"... someone that is really special to you... it's... complicated. I can't even begin to understand any of that stuff. I don't even know why she kissed me."

The second Nick mentioned those words, Gideon immediately spitted out his juice. Out of all the things Nick had to say, he did NOT mean to mention that Judy kissed him. Gideon slowly turned around to face Nick.

"What... did you just say?" Gideon asked as his eye widen.

"I can't even begin to understand any of that stuff." Nick said trying to hide what he actually said.

"After that." Gideon said.

"I don't even know why she... **missed** me. Yeah! That's what I said." Nick said frantically.

"Really? Cause it _sounds_ like you said she **kissed** you." Gideon said.

"Whaaaaat? That's crazy." Nick said nervously.

"City Boy, did Judy kiss you?" Gideon asked looking seriously.

"Uhhhhh..." Nick said feeling the pressure.

"City Boy, don't lie to me." Gideon said staring down at Nick.

At this point, there was no point in hiding it anymore. With the way Gideon was staring down at Nick, he had no choice but to tell the truth.

"YOU HAVE TO PROMISE ME YOU WON'T TELL **ANYONE**!" Nick shouted at Gideon. Gideon rapidly nodded. Nick then started to calm down a bit before speaking. "*sigh* It happen the night after Judy and I scared off the Junior Ranger Scouts. After we talked about a few things, we walked back to my house. I offer to walk her to her motel, but she said she was okay getting back herself. But before she left, she told me to lead down a bit and then... she kissed me."

"Like an "kiss" kiss or a kiss on the cheek?" Gideon asked to clarify.

"Cheek." Nick said firmly as he pointed at his right cheek. "For like... 2 seconds."

"2 seconds? Not just a quick peck?" Gideon asked.

"Yeah..." Nick said blushing a bit. "But... she only kissed me to make me feel better."

"Now I may not be as smart as you are, but I'm pretty sure if it more than a quick peck, then the kiss is saying something else." Gideon said taking a few of Nick's blueberries. "Clearly, Judy really likes you too."

"I didn't say I "liked" her yet." Nick said trying to hide it.

"Nick, you can't fool yourself, but you can't fool me." Gideon stated. "It's clear to anyone with eyes that you and Judy like each other."

While Nick really did had some feelings for Judy, he wasn't 100% sure what his feelings were. He also wasn't really sure that Judy even liked him for real.

"Uggggh... why is this so hard? It was easier when I thought girls were icky and had cooties." Nick said moping a bit.

"You're telling me. Growing up really bites you in the tail." Gideon said agreeing with Nick.

"Let's say... I do like Judy. But what should I even do about it? I'm just understanding some of these feelings I have now. Also, if you haven't notice, Carrots and I aren't exactly the same species." Nick stated. "How can I just tell someone I "like" them when I'm not even sure if I actually do?

"Sorry, City Boy. You're asking the wrong country fox this question." Gideon said.

"Pop said I needed to be the one to decided what I should do, but that doesn't help." Nick said. "He did also say I don't have to rush things yet. We're are still pretty young now."

"Well... then I guess that's what you should do. Wait and don't rush." Gideon said. "You're figure things out later."

"Easier said than done." Nick said.

After a while, Nick and Gideon finish their juice and the blueberries.

"Well... my box is bone dry." Nick said tapping his juice box.

"Same for mine." Gideon said.

"Thanks for talking with Gid. It feels good to finally talk to someone about this." Nick said with a smile.

"No problem, Nick. Like you said, us foxes got to stick together." Gideon said happily.

"Just remember, not to tell anyone about "you know what". You do and it's gonna be round 2 for the two of us. Got it?" Nick said seriously.

"Got it." Gideon said not wanting to get into another fight.

The two get up from the log and stand up on their feet.

"You know if you're not doing anything else, you can come by my house to hang out more." Gideon said offering Nick to hang out at his place.

"That's kind of you to offer, but maybe next time. I should go back to the Hopps house. Hopefully Judy calm things down it bit." Nick stated.

"Alright then. Til next time?" Gideon said offering his paw to shake.

"Til next time." Nick said shaking Gideon's paw.

"See ya, City Boy." Gideon said smiling.

"See ya, Country Boy." Nick said smiling.

After that, the two foxes parted ways and also growing more as friends. Nick didn't want to admit it, but he was super relieved that Gideon said that he didn't "like" Judy. So at least he shouldn't have the boiling feeling from him anymore. But now he still had to got back to see how things were going at the house. So Nick walked back to the Hopps home, hoping that things were still okay. But Nick got his answer when he was hearing shouting OUTSIDE the house.

"Uh oh! When you can hear shouting outside of a house, that's not a good sign." Nick thought.

He dashed to the door and placed his paw on the knob. Before opening the door, he whispered to himself "It's not as bad as it sounds. It's not as bad as it sounds." Nick opened the door and he was wrong. All the Hopps kids in the house were all riled up and causing quite a storm of yelling and shouting. Saying things like "We don't want to do this." or "We want more in our lives." and also "We don't want to settle yet." Stu and Bonnie were trying to calm their kids down, while Nick's parents just stood by the wall and tried not to get involve with ANY of this. Nick was scared of what was happening.

"Nope. It's much worst." Nick said to himself.

Nick knew he had to find and ask her what's going on. Luckily, even with the crazy crowd, Nick was able to find Judy, in a bit of a panic.

"Judy! What's happening? I thought you were gonna calm things down here." Nick said.

"I was and I tried. I went to most of them and told them not to overthink things. But theeeeen..." Judy said as she twiddled her paws.

"But then..." Nick said looking a bit serious.

"But then they told me that thanks to you, they were more open to the world and with change as well. So they all actually wanted to be triers." Judy said. "After hearing that I... kinda encourage them even more to follow their dreams."

"So basically... instead of putting out the fire, you made it spread out even more." Nick said with his eyebrows down.

"Yep. Pretty much. Ah ha haaaaaa..." Judy said awkwardly.

"Unbelievable." Nick said mad at Judy. "You tell me not to do this and yet you actually escalated the situation."

"Hey! Don't give me that look. I was trying for years to get them all to try and it only toke you less than a day." Judy stated.

As Nick and Judy go at each other, Stu and Bonnie really wanted their kids to calm down.

"Children, settle down now." Bonnie pleaded to her kids.

"We don't know what's got you all like this, but take it easy." Stu pleaded to the kids as well.

The kids didn't listen. They still went on. John and Frankie, while they were not trying to get involve with this, it seem like they had to.

"Frankie, do you want to handle this?" John asked his wife.

"I suppose." Frankie said to her husband. Frankie moved a little bit and gave out a mighty shout. "EVERYONE QUIET DOWN NOW!"

Hearing that shout scared everyone who hear it and they immediately stopped what they were doing. The whole room finally went quiet.

"Thank you, Frankie." John said.

Now that everything was calm, Stu and Bonnie could finally talk to the kids straight followed.

"Now that you all quiet down, what's wrong? Bonnie asked the young bunnies.

"None of you kids have ever acted like this before." Stu said. Stu then looked at Xand. "Alexander, you're the oldest. Tell us what going on."

"Alright. I'll tell you what's going on." Xand said sounding serious.

"Oh no." Nick and Judy said worried for a later outcome of all this.

"For years, you always raised all of us to be okay with "just fine". But after a while, we finally realized something. "Just fine" is NOT okay. Not even close. We want more that "Just fine" or "Okay" now." Xand stated. "We been letting fear control us and everything with do. We thought foxes were bad, but we were wrong. We thought the city would be scary, but this family visits the Wildes at the city every week. All the things we were afraid of, we're not scared of anymore." Xand then took a deep breath.

"Where is all of this coming from?" Bonnie asked a bit surprised on what Xand just said.

"Just now. Judy was always the only one out of all us that had the courage to want to follow her dream." Xand said.

"Don't say my name." Judy quietly said.

"But... thanks to Nick..." Xand said.

"Don't say my name." Nick quietly said.

"... we all finally realized something. We all just can't settle for the way things are and take the easy way. We need to do more if we want to have more." Xand said.

"What... are you saying?" Stu asked looking nervous.

"I guess... what I'm saying is..." Xand said.

"Here it comes." Judy said to Nick as they both brace for the worst.

"I don't want to be farmer anymore." Xand said.

At that moment, both Stu and Bonnie froze. Just ushering those words didn't sit well for those two.

"There goes one peg." Judy said to Nick referring to her Junga theory.

"In fact..." Xand said as he calls Mikey and Paul over. "... Mikey, Paul, and I all want to start a rock band."

"Yeah!" Mikey and Paul said happily.

"Make that 3 pegs." Nick said to Judy.

"A... a rock band?" Stu said studdering a bit.

"That's uhh... great dear." Bonnie sad looking like she didn't mean it. "Hear that, Stu. A... rock band... instead of farming."

Gwen was now really to speak.

"While we're at the subject, I think I should say something too. I don't want to settle yet. It's fall too soon for me." Gwen said. Saying that made Stu and Bonnie twitch a bit. "I wanted to do some more exciting things first. Then, I want to form my own daycare."

"There goes another peg." Judy said to Nick.

"If the daycare has families like this, then that kid's gonna be loaded in the first year." John stated to Frankie. Frankie responded by giggling.

"Woah! Woah! Woah! Now hold on a minute. You kids **sure** you don't want to just be farmers?" Stu said trying to change the kids' minds.

"They're positive dad." Ellinor said. "Also, I don't want to be a farmer anymore either."

"What? You too?" Stu said shocked.

"I want to be a teacher. So I can teach others the joy of learning more." Ellinor said happily.

"And... another peg." Nick said to Judy.

"A teacher? Nice choice." John said sounding supportive.

"Teaching... isn't really the easiest choice. Are you certain?" Bonnie asked Ellinor trying to change her mind.

Next thing you know, all the other kids started saying what they wanted to be.

"I want to be a doctor."

"I want to be an engineer."

"Race car driver."

"Baseball player."

"Can I be a artist?"

"Secret agent."

While all the kids were saying what careers they wanted to do, Nick and Judy continue to count.

"How many pegs are we on?" Nick asked Judy.

"I'm on 37... and counting." Judy said to Nick.

As you could expect, all the career changes at once, really started to freak Stu and Bonnie out. Mostly Stu. Hearing some much of his own children not want to settle for being farmer made him start worrying about the future and he started to hyperventilate. He started to get woozy and then... he passed out and fell down to the ground. This made everyone else gasped.

"Stu!" Bonnie shouted worried that her husband just fainted.

"Oh dear." Frankie said.

"Oh boy." John said.

"Annnnnnnnnd down goes the tower and the stability of my dad." Judy with a not-surprised expression on her face.

"Junga! Ah ha ha ha..." Nick shouted as he reaches his paws up in an attempt to lighten the mood. It wasn't working. Nick then put one of his paw on his face. "What did we do?"

 **Sooooo... that happen. But the question is... what will happen next. Are Stu and Bonnie really gonna be okay with this? Is Nick in trouble for any of this? How is this gonna affect both families. You'll have to read the final part of "Wilde Weekend at the Burrows to find out." Til then.**


	18. Chapter 16: WWATB Part 4

**Here's chapter 16. The fourth and final part of "Wilde Weekend at the Burrows". In the last chapter, Nick went off turning a high number of the Hopps kids into triers. Which led to a riot and Stu passing out. He didn't take the news well. This looks like a job for John and Frankie. For this chapter, John and Frankie try to convince Stu and Bonnie that their kids wanting to do more isn't a bad thing. Can they do it while keep Nick and Judy's friendship intact? Let's quit stalling and find out. Also, thank you all so much for reading. This story now has over 55,000 views. Which is waaaaaaay more than I could ever imagine. Now on with the story.**

* * *

All the angry grunts from the bunnies about wanting to do something else, became words concerns for their father. Nick was really concern as well.

"Aww man! Did I kill Mr. Hopps?" Nick asked.

John went over the passed out Stu and checked his pulse (just in case). He was fine.

"None of you worry. He's okay. Beside the whole passing out thing." John said to the others.

All the kids were relieved that their dad was okay. Nick was relieved that he didn't killed him with this news. Even if Bonnie though Bonnie wasn't passed out, she did had an extremely worried look on her face.

"They want to do more than just farming. They want to do more than just farming." Bonnie muttered repeatively.

"Calm down, Bonnie." Frankie said to her. She then place her arms on her shoulders and led her out of the room. "Johnny, let's take them to the den."

"Alright. Good idea." John said as he lifted up Stu and his shoulder. "Yeesh! Stewie's heavier than I thought." John than faced all the kids. "Okay kids, listen up. Mrs. Wilde and I are gonna have a long talk with your folks here. All you kids, and I mean ALL of you, head outside and stay there until we're done. No one stay in this house. Even take the babies with you."

The kids were all a bit confused about all of this.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Move. Move. Move." John said as if he were a drill sergent. "Everybody out. No one in their rooms. Outside. Go. Go. Go."

Everyone did what John said and started to leave the house. Some of the older siblings took the younger baby siblings on strollers and led them outside. While this was happening, Nick and Judy went over to John.

"Is my dad gonna be okay?" Judy asked John.

"Don't worry your little head, Judy. Your dad with be fine...ish." John said still carrying Stu on his shoulders.

"Pop, am I in trouble?" Nick asked his dad with a worried face. "All of this is my fault."

"Now. Now. You're not in trouble, son." John said. "I know you didn't mean to cause this. To tell you the truth, with these kids, I might have done the same thing. So like I said, don't worry. You two just go out with the others."

"Okay." Nick and Judy said nodding.

Like everyone else, Nick and Judy went outside of the house. It took a while, but all 276 bunny children, and one fox, were now waiting outside like John told them to. More than half, if not all of them were worried what was gonna happen next?

"So... we all just wait here until they call us back?" Greg asked.

"Seems that way." Eric said.

"Waiting always gonna be the hard part." Nick said looking sadly at the ground.

"Nick..." Judy said concerned for Nick.

Meanwhile, John, Frankie, Bonnie, and the still passed out Stu were all in the den room. The den had a small table with four chairs. Frankie calmly put Bonnie down on one of the chairs. Bonnie was breathing heavily and trying not to take too much stress. Being pregnant, stress wasn't a good thing. John put Stu down in one of the other chairs beside Bonnie. John lightly slapped Stu on the face, hoping to wake him up.

"Stu! Stu! Stewie! Wake up already." John said as he lightly smacked Stu a bit.

"Uh... Uhhhhhh..." Stu said as we was finally waking up. Stu looking around and sees John, Frankie, and Bonnie beside him. "Where am I?"

"You're in our den room, Stu." Bonnie stated.

"I... just had the **worst** dream." Stu said hoping what just happen didn't really happen.

"Let me stop you right there. It's wasn't a dream." John said to Stu.

"Wait? So... my kids... really want to..." Stu said starting to have a feared look on his face.

"Eyup." John answered.

Once again, Stu started to panic even more now.

"My kids. They want to be... rockstars, teachers, doctors, and things bunnies don't really do." Stu said worried. He then looked at John. "Johnny, what do I do about this?"

"No ho ho! Trust me. You do NOT want the advice that I have for you right now." John stated.

"I'm pretty sure I do." Stu said to John.

"I'm telling you. No you don't." John said firmly.

"Johnathan, listen to what I about to say. You are the smartest person, prey or predator, friend or foe, that I know or ever will know. Any advice you would give me, I would listen to it. So PLEASE, help me." Stu pleaded to John.

John was a little surprise to hear all that. John got out of his chair and look at the hallway to make sure that everyone was really outside and no one was listening. He then went back to his chair ready to give Stu his advice.

"You want my advice? Here it is." John said before shouting it out. "YOU HAD TOO MANY KIDS!"

"JOHNATHAN!" Frankie shouted out as she smacks John on his shoulder.

"What? Don't tell me you weren't thinking the same" John stated to Frankie. He then face Stu again. "You have more kids than I have family members. You have so many kids that they go completely outnumbered by them. You have so many kids that if they all decided to go to college, your great great great grandchildren would still be paying for the debt. Then they would STILL have to pay for any other kids before that."

"Are you done?" Frankie asked looking a bit mad at John.

"Not even." John stated. "You all have so many kids that when they all said that they wanted to be triers, you couldn't take the news and you went crashing down like a Junga tower." John then imitiated some crashing sounds.

"Now are you done?" Frankie asked John.

"No. I have several more. But saying them all would be rude. So I will stop right here." John said firmly.

"Thank you." Frankie said.

"Seriously, what do we do to stop this?" Stu asked.

"What?" John and Frankie said confused.

"We can't just let are kids think it's okay to try to be whatever they want." Bonnie said.

John and Frankie were a bit stun to hear them say that. John and Frankie always had a philosophy that was the... opposite of Stu and Bonnie.

"Wait a second. Are you saying that you rather have **ALL** of your kids to grow up to be farmers instead of doing anything else?" John asked Stu and Bonnie.

"Yes." Stu and Bonnie said.

"And for them to be okay with not succeeding in life?" John asked.

"Yes." Stu and Bonnie said again.

"Even when they are not happy and can do better for themselves." John asked.

"Yes!" Stu and Bonnie said once again.

Hearing all this was a bit dumbfounding for both John and Frankie.

"Are you hearing this right now?" John asked Frankie.

"Yes I am." Frankie said.

"And you agree with them?" John asked.

"No I do not." Frankie stated agreeing with John

"What? So you think kids should do whatever career they think they feel they should do?" Stu asked John and Frankie.

"Yes." John and Frankie said.

"Even if the career's gonna be close to impossible for them to do?" Stu asked.

"Yes." John and Frankie said again.

"Even if their is a chance that they could fail at it?" Stu asked.

"Yes!" John and Frankie said once again.

Now Stu and Bonnie were the ones who were dumbfounded. It seem like John and Frankie weren't as fearful as they were.

"It sounds like we have **different** ideas on how our kits should be like when they grow up." Bonnie stated.

"Which is why we need to get to an understanding." Frankie said.

"Stu, Bonnie, don't you get it? Your kids all **want** to grow up and follow the dream they have. Just a few of your kids alone can do so much for this world and they aren't gonna just give up now." John stated.

"Hmmm. You might be right." Stu said.

"So, you agree with us?" John asked smiling.

"What you're saying is... we need to do something to make the kids **NOT** want to do any of that stuff?" Stu asked.

John and Frankie couldn't believe Stu's response. Frankie put her paw in her face and shook her head. John rubbed the sides on his head with his fingers.

"Ugggghhh... these bunnies are giving me a migraine." John said as he continues to rubs his head.

Meanwhile, while John and Frankie were still talking to Stu and Bonnie, Nick, Judy, and all of the others Hopps kits were all still outside the house and sitting on the grass. All of them were silent and had worried expressions on their faces. Nick was the one to break the silence.

"None of us are talking, but I know we are all thinking the same thing." Nick said looking sad.

"Nick..." Judy said.

"No, Judy. Your parents are not happy about this and we should all expect the worst." Nick said. "Because of this, they might make you and the others stop visiting me and family. We may never get to see each other again."

"NO!" Judy shouted out upset.

She wasn't the only one. Everyone was upset about that. They were saying. "No way!", "They can't do that.", "That's so unfair.", and "This is not okay.". Judy and the others were all starting to see Nick as family and they didn't want to lose him.

"That... that can't happen. I won't let it." Judy said trying not to cry.

"I don't want that either. But that's what we sould expect." Nick said to Judy.

"If... that happens, then... I'll run away." Judy said looking seriously.

"WHAT?" Nick shouted looking shocked. "You can't be serious."

"I am. If I can't see you anymore, then I'll run from here and not look back. Just as long as I still get to see you." Judy said.

"The same for me." Greg said.

"Me too." Eric said.

"Us too." Cole and Conner said.

"Yeah. If you go, we go too." Daisy said.

All the children agreed that they didn't want their visits to Nick and Zootopia to end. Even if it meant they had to run away from their home.

"Guys, as much as I appreciate it, you can't do that." Nick said to them. "If you all ran away, then I'm pretty sure people will want to look for a huge group of bunnies. Besides, this place is still your home." Nick sighed and then looked down on the ground. "We're just gonna have to deal with whatever happens next. This is all my fault."

"It's my fault too. I shouldn't have made the situation worst." Judy said.

"We're to blame as well." Greg stated. "Last night, we told Nick how we felt about things and how we wanted to do more than just farming."

"Why are you all blaming yourselves. This was all bound to happen sooner or later. Better sooner than later." Edgar stated.

"Edgar?" Judy said curious with what Edgar said.

"If filling Nick's head with ideas is someone's fault, it's mine." Edgar said. "I was the one who told him all that stuff about rabbits and even gave him a list to help him out."

"Aw jeez! Edgar, you didn't went all gloom and doom on him, did you?" Mikey asked.

"Hey! You guys didn't believe me when I told you all that stuff. Nick did." Edgar said to Mikey. "Now look where we are. You all wouldn't be like this if you didn't agree with any of it."

Edgar was right. The Hopps kits did agree with Edgar. Edgar always told everyone the same things that he said to Nick earlier. About their parents being afraid to try. About their house being more of a prison. About bunnies being their own true enemies.

"Okay so we do agree with you on a few of the things you told us. But I sure mom and dad will be okay with all of this." Xand said.

"Were you not in the same room as the rest of us?" Nick asked. "Your dad passed out and your mom was close to having a heart attack. Why? Because they didn't want you to do anything else besides working on the farm. I could have just hold my tougue and be okay with everthing."

"Do you really think that would have been the best thing? Do you REALLY think that it would have been the best things?" Judy asked.

"Uhhhhhh..." Nick said not knowing how to properly answer her.

"See? You can't even answer honestly." Judy stated.

"The truth of the matter is our parents believed that we would all be okay with settling and working in the farm. But we can't ALL grow up to be farmers. No matter how much they want us to." Edgar stated.

"It's not like NONE of us want to grow up to help run the farm." Gerald said. "I think I speak for a some of us that a few of us actually do want to be farmers when we grow up. Right?"

About 40 or so of the kids nodded and agree with Gerald. A few of them had good reasons to stay at the farm and help keep it running. So it wasn't like zero of them didn't want to be farmers.

"I do get it. I understand why some of you still want to stay here and be farming. But..." Nick said before quivering a bit. "For some of you... it felt like... it felt like you only choose to be farmers because..."

"Because we had no choice?" Xand asked.

"Yeah..." Nick said. "It bother me that someone like Judy was willing to try while the rest of her own brothers and sisters weren't. You were all so good at other things, yet you wanted to put them to waste by staying here."

"That's why you did what you did." Judy said. Nick nodded.

"You hear that everyone? Nick's only 9, yet he was smart enough to figure out all of this while you all sit around being dumb bunnies and taking mom and dad's words serious." Edgar stated to everyone.

"Excuse me?!" Ellinor said not too happy with being called dumb. She then walked up to Edgar and poked him in the chest. "Don't you dare call all of us dumb bunnies. It's not like your much of a genius yourself."

"Oh for the love of... OPEN YOUR EYES!" Edgar shouted out in anger. "Look around. There's move to the world then the burrows that we call home, yet our own parents are trying to keep us from it. Why did you think they wanted us all to only be farmers?" Edgar then toke a deep breath and calmed down. "Look, for being a farmer, there are only two choices. Start your own farm or work for an already existing farm. To start your own farm, you would need a employees to hire, crops to harvest, and a lot of money to make it all happen. Now if you included the other 30 or so farms in this town and our own family farm her, you asking for a huge competition with a slim chance of success. So what would be the easiest choice?"

"To still work at your own family farm." Nick answered.

"Exactly! See? Nick gets it." Edgar stated. "It's because of that, everything that we do or did up until now, it's pointless. Good grades in school, looking for other jobs, getting fire, working hard. We don't need to have any of that because mom and dad are giving us everything on a silver platter. Doesn't that bother any of you?" Edgar then looked at Judy. "What about you, Judy?"

"It does a little." Judy admitted. "I always want to work hard at everything I do. It's why I'm willing to work hard to become a police officer. Not matter how tough it may be. I want to earn it."

"So what you're saying is... that it's better to earn something from hard work instead of being just given something." Nick said.

"Once again, Nick gets it. Judy too." Edgar said. Out of the other 276 of us, does anyone else get it?"

All the bunnies muttered at each other about this. While some ideas of this did came to some of their head, they weren't fully realized until now.

"Guess I take that as a no." Edgar said as he crosses his arms.

"If that's the real case... then why did you wait tell now to talk about this?" Xand said mad at Edgar. "All you did was doing nothing but being emo."

Now Edgar was the one who was mad. He walked up to Xand and talked back at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought Mr. Firstborn would already know." Edgar stated at Xand. "You're suppose to be the one to know and look out for all of us. But just like everyone else, you were blind to the truth."

"Oh. You want to start something?" Xand asked as he angrily stared at his brother.

"Maybe I do." Edgar said. Edgar then pushed Xand.

The two then started to angrily push at each others. A few of the others tried to break them and and make them stop. But to no avail. After seeing all this, Nick had to say something.

"STOP IT!" Nick shouted. Everyone froze when they heard him shout. "Is this how brothers act with each other? I may not have any brothers or sisters, but I know it shouldn't be like this. Cause if I knew you were all gonna be like this... then... I wish I never started this."

Everyone was a little shock to hear this. Including Judy. Nick got up and walked a bit farther from everyone else and then sat on the ground by himself moping. All the bunnies ears started drooping. A pretty close sign to sadness. Judy was of course the most sad.

"Oh Nick..." Judy said concern for her friend.

Meanwhile, back at the den inside the Hopps home, John, Frankie, Stu, and Bonnie were still talking about things. John and Frankie were still trying to convince Stu and Bonnie that their kids wanting to try is a good thing. However, both Stu and Bonnie were still on the fense about it.

"Stu, Bon, you two have to realize that this isn't a bad thing." John said.

"Oh yes it is." Stu stated.

"If our kids think it's okay for them to do the hard jobs, they could be setting themselves to fail." Bonnie stated. "Also, some lines of work aren't really the best for bunnies."

"I think you two are overthinking things." Frankie said. "You don't know if they will fail if they don't try."

"But you don't fail if you don't try." Stu stated.

"Isn't that still failing?" John asked. "That's like... not taking a test and still end up getting a zero."

"Uhh... well..." Stu said trying to make a comeback comment. But couldn't think of anything.

"Hmmm... seems like you can't argue with that logic, can you?" John asked with a smirk.

"Look. We get want you are both saying. But they are our kids and we are NOT okay with this." Stu said.

"So... you're okay with them not having work hard for what they have and giving them the easy way out?" John asked.

"We already been through this. Yes." Stu answered.

"You know... for you two to have so many little ones, I don't think you know the difference of being a parent and _being_ a parent." Frankie said as she rubbed her chin a bit.

"Excuse me? What do you mean by that?" Bonnie asked.

"To be a parent means to have a kit or two. Or in your case... over 200." Frankie said. "But being a parent also means raising them to do good in life so they can make decisions on their own."

"Right dear." John said agreeing with his wife. "Stu, Bonnie, you have a lot of kids. A lot. Like too much to count."

"Johnathan..." Frankie said sounding a bit mad and wanting him to get to the point.

"Give a minute." John said in attempt to calm down Frankie. He then turned back to Stu and Bonnie. "While I do believe some of them are gonna grow up to be farmers, they don't ALL need to grow up to be farmers. They should be free to choose whatever they want to do."

"It's not like your wrong about this or that we don't agree with you. It's just... that..." Bonnie said looking slightly nervous. "It's like we told you before. We always believe that a bunny should only be a bunny."

For some reason, both John and Frankie seem offended by Bonnie's words.

"I see. So you only think a bunny should be a bunny." Frankie said in a bit of a tone.

"Meaning you also think a fox should be a fox." John said as he crossed his arms.

Bonnie then realized that she may have offended them since it seem that she was basically saying that an mammal should only be the mammal that they are.

"Frankie, John, I didn't... I didn't mean..." Bonnie said before being halting by John.

"No no. We get it. Up until now, you use to believe that us foxes are _sneaky_ and _conniving_ since it's in our "biology"." John said using air quotes when he say biology. "But what does it really mean to be a fox? What does it really mean to be a bunny? Nothing cause it's not what you are... but who you are."

"We know you're right, but..." Stu said.

"Ugggh! Again with the **but**." John said getting a little frustrated.

"Please let me finish." Stu said to John. "But... we want to know that our children are still doing well. We know it's impossible for us to keep an eye out for all of them. If they all work at the farm, at least we know they are all okay."

"But is it really a good idea to put all your eggs in the same basket?" John asked.

"What do you mean?" Stu asked curiously.

"Okay, think of this." John said as he began to explain. "Sure it may seem like it's okay and your financial problems aren't as bad. But what about natural disasters?"

"Natural disasters?" Stu and Bonnie said looking confused.

"Where are you going with this?" Frankie whispered to John.

"Just go with with." John whispered back to Frankie. John then went back to speaking with Stu and Bonnie. "Come on, you two. While it may not seem like it, life is unpredictable. Like what if... what if a heavy rainstorm happens that causes massive flooding to all your crops. Destroying and washing away ALL your hard work."

Stu and Bonnie started having frighten looks on their faces from the images of what John said. Images of their farm didn't sit well. Frankie noticed.

"Uhh... Johnny?" Frankie said trying to get her husband attention. But John kept going.

"Then with thunderstorms, their is also lightning. And when lightning strikes the right place, it could start a wildfire." John stated in a bit of a serious matter. The horrors of those red hot flames destroying anything in their path, it would be just horrible if that happen to the fruits and vegetables in your farm."

"Johnathan..." Frankie said wanting John to stop, but John went on.

"Also, let's not forgot about tornadoes and hurricanes. Whether it's the blowing things away with their high winds or causing mass destruction to homes, you can't really do anything to stop those." John said in a bit of a frighten tone.

"Johnathan..." Frankie said once again trying to stop John from speaking. Yet he still went on.

"But that's not even the worst of things." John said in a terrorizing matter. "If that stuff happens, what will become of your kids? If they stuck with family, what else could they do? They would probably be like "Mommy, Daddy, what do we now? All we know is farming instead doing anything else." Your kids became too dependent and are force to make **horrible** choice like..."

Think that John had said enough, Frankie halted John by shaking him viciously.

"Johnathan! Johnathan! Johnathan!" Frankie shouted out and she shook her husband. "I think you said enough. Can't you see you're scaring them?"

"Huh?" John said looking a bit oblivious.

John had a good look at Stu and Bonnie and realized that the two WERE freaking out quite a bit. Actually a lot. Bonnie was trying her best not to explode from at the stress. Stu was breathing into a paper bag heavily.

"Ohhhh! My fault. Sorry." John said awkwardly while scratching the back of her head.

"OH MY GOSH! WE'VE RUINED OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE!" Stu shouted out from the bag.

"What? No. No Stewie... and Bonnie. You didn't do anything wrong." John said.

"You'll have to forgive John." Frankie said giving John an angry look.

"But that actually **could** happen, could it?" Bonnie asked looking worried. "I mean, that kind of thing happens all the time. What if it happens to us?"

"Come on. None of that would never happen." Frankie stated.

"Uhhh... actually..." John said.

"Johnny, hush!" Frankie said not want John to say anything else.

"Hushing." John said

"Seriously? What if one of those things actually does happen to the farm? What if we can't provide for our kids and give them a stable work choice?" Stu asked.

"Well... at least you got insurance to cover all of that." John stated.

"We... actually don't have insurance." Stu admitted.

"WHAAAAT?!" John and Frankie shouted out.

"You don't have insurance for your farm? Are you out of your carrot-loving minds?" John asked in a serious tone.

"We were poor and even we got insurance." Frankie stated. "Why would you not get something as essential as insurance?"

"We have a family with 276+ kids. Do you **REALLY** think that they have an insurance plan that covers a bunny family that big AND still be affordable?" Stu asked.

"Okay. Maybe you got us there. But if that's the case... why had so many kids?" John asked.

"WE'RE BUNNIES!" Stu and Bonnie shouted out.

"We eat carrots." Stu said.

"We settle early." Bonnie said.

"We do farming." Stu said.

"We have a bunch of babies." Bonnie said.

"IT'S WHAT WE DO." Stu and Bonnie shouted out.

Once again John started rubbing the sides of his head with his fingers. Frankie was doing the same this time.

"Frankie, these bunnies are giving me a migraine again." John said to Frankie.

"Same here." Frankie said feeling the same way.

While the parents were still talking things through, let's get back to the kids. Nick was still moping from the problem he caused. Judy went over to Nick to comfort him.

"Come on, Nick. You know you are not the kind of person to act depress and mop." Judy said while rubbing his back.

"*sigh* I just wanted to help and do something good for your family." Nick said. "I didn't think I would cause such problems."

"Nick, you did nothing wrong." Judy said.

"But I didn't need to do anything." Nick said sadly. "Listen, do you remember how I felt when the scouts rejected me? I wanted to give up on everything. I was willing to stop being who I am and just become the fox everyone thought I was. The only reason why I didn't was because I had you, Judy. You knew I was good and you didn't want me to give up cause you value the friendship we have. But your family..." Nick then got up and looked at all of Judy's siblings as they all looked at him. "... your family would have been okay. It didn't matter if you all chose not to follow your dreams or settled for being farmers. Your lives would be fine. I didn't need to get involved."

Judy then held Nick's right paw with both of her paws as she looked up at Nick.

"Nick, weren't you inside the room when all the chaos was happening? If you were listen to what Xander said, "Just fine." is not okay." Judy said to Nick. "Maybe you're right. Our lives would have been fine without you. But because of you... our lives are better."

"Really?" Nick said a bit surprise to hear that.

"Nick, who was the one that defended me not once, but twice?" Judy asked Nick.

"Me." Nick answered.

"Who's the main reason why we all get to visit Zootopia so often?" Judy asked.

"Me." Nick answered.

"Who showed us that all foxes aren't bad?" Judy asked.

"Me... and mom... and pop." Nick answered.

"Don't you see, Nick?" Judy said to Nick as she held his paw a bit tighter. "My brothers and sisters and I already own you so much. You opened our eyes to the world more than anyone else could. And we thank you for that."

"Judy's right, Nick." Greg said. "Our lives ARE better because of you."

"If it weren't for you, we would still be dumb enough to be afraid of foxes." Eric said.

"You also show us that we can't let fear hold us back." Gwen said.

"We don't want to be the scare bunnies afraid to try anymore. That's because of you, Nick." Xand said. "We're very thankful that Judy became friends with you."

Nick looked around and it seem that everyone was happy that Nick encouraged each of them. Nick was starting to feel a lot better now. He also still feel the warmth of Judy's paws still holding on to his.

"Everyone, thank you." Nick said smiling. "It's good to know that what I did was actually the right thing to do."

"Of course it was. That's why I gave you the list." Edgar said.

"Huh?" Nick said looking at Edgar.

Edgar then walked over to Nick.

"Nick, you know... in some ways, you're a lot like me." Edgar said.

"Uhhhhh... not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not." Nick said.

"I mean other than my... darker attire... and perspective on life..." Edgar said. Nick lightly chuckled a bit. "... the two of us are alike cause we know how to read people."

"Huh?" Nick said looking confused.

"Come on. You knew all 276 of us while some of us even tend to be a little fuzzy with each other. Judy also told us about what happen with that other fox kid, Gideon. You were able to know everything you need to know about him without even knowing him. How and why? Because you just can." Edgar said.

"Well... I guess you right about that." Nick said as he lets go of Judy's paw for so long. "See, when I grow up, I want to know everyone in Zootopia. But I don't just know everyone, I mean I want to **know** everyone."

"You want to... know everyone AND know everyone?" Judy said confused why Nick said it twice.

"What I mean is... I want to know how someone is just by seeing who they are." Nick said. "I know all mammals are different. But not just their species, their personalities too. I mean, look at all of you." The Hopps kids all looked at each other and knew that Nick was right. Each of them was different in their own way. "I want to think no matter how different we are, anyone could understand each other. That's how Judy and I became friends, right?"

"I'm liking this fox more and more." Edgar stated with a light smile.

"Are you... smiling?" Mikey asked surprised. "You never smile."

"Look's like Nicky brings in the best out of all of us. Even Eddy here." Xand said happily as he places his arm around Edgar's shoulder.

"Do NOT call me Eddy." Edgar said firmly.

"Ha ha! Still on that?" Xand said chuckled.

"Guess he REALLY doesn't like being called that." Nick said smirking.

The others also joined in some laughter too few a few seconds. After that, Nick wanted to say one more thing to everyone.

"Listen... everyone, I don't know if after this... we will still be able to see each other." Nick said looking a bit worried.

"Nick..." Judy said still concern for Nick.

"Carrots, please let me finish." Nick said. "I want you all to promise me, no matter what happens, stick with the choices you all made for your future. Okay?"

Judy and her siblings seemed a bit discourage at first, but they all nodded their heads agreeing to do what Nick told them. They didn't like the possible chance of them not getting to see each other anymore. But no matter the outcome, they didn't want Nick's words to be in vain. Meanwhile, the Wildes were still doing their best to convince the Hopps to be okay with this. But it was starting to get really hard.

"Frankie, do you want to give them some more advice or should I?" John asked his wife.

"I'll be the one to talk. After the last couple of things you said, I don't want to risk you giving them more horrid advice." Frankie stated.

"Very well." John said.

"Stu, Bonnie, listen. You're both farmers, right?" Frankie asked.

Stu and Bonnie gave Frankie a look of "Of course we are farmers.".

"Right. Anyway, your children... are like your garden. Each of them are your little carrots." Frankie said. "Your job is only to nourish them and help them grow. You may want them to be the way you want them to be, but that's never always the case. One carrot might realize that they don't want to be a carrot. Or be just a carrot" Frankie was referring to Judy. "They want to be so much more than that. The same can be said about the other carrots. They are not all gonna be the same. Some may be bigger. Some may be smaller. No matter how much you WANT them to be a certain way, you can't control how they turn out in the end."

"Nice using a farm analogy, sweetie." John said happily to his wife.

"You're right. We know we can't control how our "carrots" turn out in the end. We are also okay with them wanting to be more." Bonnie admitted.

"We get it. We really do. But..." Stu said.

"UGGGGHHHHH! Again with the **but**. Why is there always a **but**?" John said complaining.

"We're just not okay with one of our "carrots" doing something crazy that they could get themselves hurt doing." Stu said.

"You're talking about Judy, are you?" John asked.

No matter how they looked at things, Stu and Bonnie don't want Judy to become a police officer. It was one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. It also didn't help that she was a bunny, when they are no bunny cops to begin with. Most officers were huge and only and small as a wolf. Bunnies however, are considered tiny. It was clear to them that being a cop may be too difficult for their daughter.

"Judy wants to be a cop. A cop! There are no bunny cops in the ZPD." Bonnie stated.

"Not to mention, it's one of the most dangerous jobs out there. She gonna be taking on criminals. HUGE criminals that are 10x bigger than her. If not more." Stu stated in a bit of a panic. "She shouldn't have to deal with that kind of life. Do you know how hard it's gonna be for her to even succeed in something like that?"

"You talk as if we aren't in the same boat as you." John said as he crosses his arms.

Stu and Bonnie froze for a second when they heard John say that.

"What?" Stu and Bonnie said.

"I'm guess that Judy didn't tell you yet." John said.

"Then I guess we need to be the ones to tell them." Frankie said.

"Our son Nick, wants to grow up to become a police officer too." John said.

Hearing this was quite shocking for Stu and Bonnie. Hearing about a bunny wanting to be a cop was one thing, but a fox?! This was totally unheard of.

Now, let's flashback a little bit with the Wildes. At the dinner table, Nick and his parents were eating dinner. Nick was lightly playing with his food using his fork while in deep thoughts. His mom noticed.

"Nick, don't play with your food." Frankie said.

"Sorry." Nick said as he stops.

"Is something wrong, son?" John asked.

Nick looked up to both his parents.

"I have something to tell both of you. But I don't know how would you react." Nick said.

"We're your parents. You can tell us anything." John said.

"Now, what is it?" Frankie asked.

Nick took a deep breath before speaking to them.

"Okay. Mom. Pop. When I grow up... I... I... I want to be a police officer." Nick said.

Hearing this was a bit of a tiny shock to both his parents.

"Really? What made you decide that?" John asked.

"Is it because Judy wants to be a police officer?" Frankie asked.

"No. That's not it. Well... maybe a bit. But that's not the full reason." Nick said. "The... the world isn't changing for the better. Everyday mammals get judged for what they are and not who they are. It's no surprise that us foxes have been getting the short end of the stick. But maybe that's because it's our fault for trying to do more." John and Frankie continued to listen as Nick went on. "The world is not gonna change it's opinions on foxes overnight. But... if I can become a police officer, maybe... I can help change that a bit. If I can prove myself as a cop and help stop crimes from certain mammals, I might be able to prove that foxes can be trustworthy. I know it may be hard and seem close to impossible, but nothing is ever easy. Doing this could help foxes and other underappreciated mammals want to do more with themselves as well. Like Judy, I want to make the world a better world too. For foxes. For... everything. If anyone has to do this, it has to be me."

John and Frankie were both silent from all that Nick has said.

"Well, that's all I have to say. What do you guys think?" Nick asked his folks.

Both John and Frankie got out of their chairs and walked over to Nick. They both then hugged him. It caught Nick a bit off guard.

"Frankie, we have such a good boy, do we?" John asked his wife trying not to cry.

"We do. The best son a parent could ever as for." Frankie said with some happy tears coming down her eyes.

"Wait! So... you're both okay with this?" Nick asked.

"Of course we are." Frankie said as she stopped hugging Nick and wiping the tears from her eyes. John stopped hugging Nick as well.

"Nick, you saying that you want to help change the world for the better. You are also saying that you want to be the first fox cop and willing to work hard for it. How can we not be okay with that?" John said joyfully. "My son, 1st fox police officer. I like the sound of that."

"You guys are... more okay with this than I thought." Nick said still a bit stunned.

"Why wouldn't we be? We're your parents. As long as you do something good, you will have our full support." Frankie said happily.

"Just promise us that you we work really hard for this." John said.

"You bet!" Nick said looking both determined and confident.

That ends the flashback. Stu and Bonnie were still in a bit of shock and awe from hearing the story. They were beyond surprised to hear the reasons why Nick wants to be a cop. But they were more surprised that John and Frankie were so calm about it.

"Then... you two out of **everyone** should understand how this feels." Bonnie said. "Aren't you two concerned about your boy's safety?"

"As his parents, yes. We're always concern for our son and we do worry." Frankie said.

"But also as his parents, we couldn't be more prouder." John said happily. "Our kids want to make the world a better place for everyone. How can we not support that?"

"But... what if they fail?" Stu asked.

"What if they don't?" John asked.

"You can't be sure of that." Stu said.

"The same could be said for me." John said.

"Your children WANT to be triers and do more with their lives. As much as you want them to be, your children are not you." Frankie said. "They have their own choice to make on what they want to do and you two need to accept that."

"Cause... if you don't, then they are gonna want to look for support from somewhere else." John stated. "Do you really want your own kids to know that you don't support them?"

Stu and Bonnie went completely silent. They didn't know what to say anymore. But they do know this. John and Frankie were **completely** right about everything. They just couldn't be against anything that they said. After a few seconds of silence, Stu finally spoke.

"Our children... really aren't us, are they?" Stu asked. John and Frankie shook their heads no. "I figured as much. It was such easier to believe in stuff when you're a young kit. Where does the time go?"

"Stu? You okay?" John asked concerned.

"When we were kids, we were a lot like our children are now. We always believed that anyone can do anything that they dream." Stu said.

"What happen?" Frankie asked.

"We had a big dose of reality." Stu said. "My father, he always told me to take the easy route because I should just stick with being a rabbit. He told me that the world out there and dangerous and full of terrors like bigger mammals, predators and... foxes. I was just a kid at the time and it all scared me. So I just decided to give up on all my dreams and settle with taking over the family farm."

"The same could be said for me. I just settle for being a mother and taking care of the kids and still continue to have more." Bonnie said as she rubbed her stomach a bit.

"What... were your old dreams?" Frankie asked.

"*sigh* It's been so long since I gave up on them... I can't even remember them." Stu said.

John and Frankie felt a bit sad. But the two of them finally understand why Stu and Bonnie the way they are. It's not all their fault they aren't use to trying. They were just always raised to take the settler's way.

"Oh Stu. Really sorry to hear that." John said sadly before sounding cheery. "But there was one good thing that came from settling."

"What's that?" Stu asked.

"You happen to have the best friend that my son could ever have." John said with a wide smile. Frankie, Stu and Bonnie smiled as well. "Listen, it's okay to worry a little bit, but don't overthink things."

"We're not asking you to be 100 percent okay with right off the back. Just take all of this one step at a time." Frankie said.

"Just as long as you support your kids, everything will be okay." John said.

Stu and Bonnie were finally looking more relax after talking with John and Frankie.

"You know, Jude told us something about Nick. She said that Nick has a knack for being right about things all the time." Stu said.

"Now we see where Nick gets it from." Bonnie said with a smile.

"Haha." John and Frankie lightly laughed.

"It sounds like you two know what to say to your kids now." Frankie said with a smile.

"Yes. Yes we have." Stu said with his arms around Bonnie. "Guess we better call the kids back."

Stu and Bonnie were about to get up from their chairs, but were stopped from what John shouted out.

"Woah! Woah! Just a minute." John said to them. "We want to ask you two for two little favors."

"Favors?" Stu said confused.

"What are they?" Bonnie asked.

"1, no matter what happens, Nick and Judy need to stay friends." John said.

"Of course. We weren't gonna do anything to separate them anyway." Stu said.

"If we did, Judy would never forgive us. Not to mention some of the others. You saw what happened earlier. We don't want that again." Bonnie stated.

"No you do not." Frankie said.

"Now, what's the second favor?" Stu asked.

John and Frankie looked at each other and nodded their heads before telling them the second favor.

"Get rid of ALL you Anti-Fox items." John and Frankie said seriously.

Stu and Bonnie eyes widen and their ears drooped down as John and Frankie said that.

"Wha... whaaaat? We... we don't..." Stu said nervously.

"Steward, do we need to ask you a **second** time?" John asked Stu before raising one of his eyebrows.

After getting stared down at by the fox, Stu quickly got out of his chair.

"I'll be right back." Stu said as he quickly ran to get the Anti-Fox stuff he bought.

"Mmm hmm." John and Frankie said unamused.

"I told him not to get those things." Bonnie said.

"Mmm hmm." John and Frankie said again still unamused.

After a while, Stu came back with a small basket of the Anti-Fox stuff.

"I swear, I got these before I even knew you two." Stu said.

"Mmm hmm." John and Frankie said unamused once again.

"I'm telling you right now, you got ripped off." John stated to Stu.

John then dugged into the basket to see what was in it. The first thing he pulled out was Fox repellent.

"Fox repellent. While effective on foxes, the same can be said for any mammal with a good nose. So it's more of a "Good Sniffers" repellent. " John said. He then looked more in the basket and pulled out a Fox Horn. "A Fox Horn? Now this is just stupid. It's actually more effective on bunnies than foxes. On the count of your big ears and good hearing. See?"

John then blow the horn and it was REALLY loud. Everyone's eardrums almost popped.

"AHH! CHEESE AND CRACKERS!" Stu shouted out.

"SEE! MORE EFFECTIVE ON BUNNIES!" John shouted out.

"DID YOU **HAD** TO BLOW IT?!" Frankie shouted out.

"WHAT'S THAT?! WAIT! AM I YELLING?!" John shouted out.

After shaking their heads a bit, everyone's hearing was back to normal.

"Ahh... finally can hear properly again." John said moving his ears a bit.

John then looked in the basket again and the last item in it was a Fox Taser.

"A Fox Taser? Really?" John said a bit mad. "You know what this should really be called? **A TASER!** Cause this could hurt ANY mammal. I mean look at this thing."

John then push the button on the taser and sparks came out from the taser. John reacted by almost jumping out of his chair. Same for Frankie, Stu and Bonnie.

"COBBLERS!" John shouted out.

John quickly let go of the button and the sparks stopped. John then had an angry look at Stu.

"Stu, you have this _weapon_ in a house with 276 children." John stated.

"I know, but..." Stu said trying to come up with what to say.

"A _**weapon**_ in a house with _**children**_." John stated sounding serious.

"I'll return them back to the store." Stu said reaching for the basket.

"Oh no!" John said taking the baskets. " **I'll** be the one to get rid of these."

"But... those were all pretty expensive." Stu stated.

"And the lesson you will learn is not to waste your money on products you don't need." John stated still mad. He then got out of his chair. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm gonna call the kids back."

John then walked out the room to bring the kids back inside. He also muttered "Fox taser. I like to know the nark who made this so I could shock him with it and see how he likes it." Seeing John like that was REALLY rare. Stu now knows not to mess with John now. John made his way to the door and opened it. All the kids were there and accounted for.

"Alright everyone. Time to come back in." John shouted out to them.

All of them hear them and nodded.

"Well... here we go." Nick said.

"Yeah..." Judy said sounding worried.

"Time to face the music." Xand said.

So Nick, Judy and all of her siblings made their way back inside the house. They all made their way to the living room where Stu, Bonnie, John and Frankie were waiting for all of them. Some of kids sat on the couch. Some of them sat on the floor. Some of them just stood. Nick and Judy were all in the middle of the couch. Both looking worried. But the same could be said for everyone else.

"Alright. It looks like that's everyone." Stu said.

"Listen Mr. Hopps, I'm s..." Nick said trying to apology for starting all this.

"Now Nick, don't speak please." Bonnie said.

"But mom..." Judy said.

"Now now. We both just want you all to answer a question for us?" Bonnie said.

"Now... how many of you actually **WANT** to grow up to become a farmer? Lift your paws up if you actually do... and be honest." Stu said.

All the bunnies looked at each other before answering Stu's questions. Everyone remembered what Nick told them and agreed to stick with the true. A few of them lifted their paws up. But it was only like 50 or so of them. This meant that over 200 of the kids didn't want to be farmers. So a pretty good chunk.

"I see. Honestly, lesser than I thought." Stu said.

"Sorry dad. But we realized that we can't all be farmers." Xand said. "We all want to be free to make our own choices in life."

"We don't want to just settle anymore. We feel that we should try to do more now. Like Judy and Nick." Gwen said. "So we hope that you both understand."

"We understand." Bonnie said.

"Mrs. Hopps, I know that you are not okay with this, but..." Nick said before he fully realized what Bonnie said. Everyone's eyes widen as they heard that.

"Wait, what?" All the kids said.

"I said we understand." Bonnie said.

This surprised everyone. They understood? They were actually okay with this.

"So... you're fine with this?" Judy asked.

"We weren't at first. But after talking with Mr. and Mrs. Wilde for a while, they made us realize that we... may have be... overreacting a little." Stu said.

"A little." John said giving Stu a face.

"Okay a lot." Stu said. "It's only because we care about each and everyone of you."

"But with all of my caring, we may have been a bit overbearing. Maybe underbearing for some of you." Bonnie said.

"We both know the truth. You may all be our children, but you are not us. You don't have to settle early cause we do. You should all be free to make your own choices. No matter what you try to do, we will support you." Stu said.

The kits were all happy about that, but they were still concerned about one more thing.

"Soooo... does this also mean..." Judy said.

"Yes. You can still be friends with Nick and we'll still visit them in Zootopia." Bonnie said with a smile.

"The Wildes are friends that this family should not lose." Stu said happily.

Everyone cheered and was very happy. Especially Nick and Judy. This meant that they could stay friends and not have to say good.

"This is great news!" Judy said happily.

"Yeah! Best news ev...er..." Nick said happily before he looked at his dad and happen to notice the basket he was holding. "Uhhh... pop? What's in that basket you have there?"

"NOTHING! NOTHING IMPORTANT!" Stu shouted out trying not to tell him it's anti-fox items.

"It's anti-fox items." John said revealing what it was

"WHAT?!" All the kids shouted out not too happy.

"Anti-Fox items?! Are you kidding?" Nick said looking mad.

"Dad!" Judy said mad at her dad.

"Really, dad?" Greg said disappointed in his dad.

"Not cool." Cole and Conner said also disappointed.

Next thing to happen was all the kids started to yell again. It was clear that they were not keen on their dad buying anti-fox stuffs. Stu angrily looked at John with a face that said "Why did you had to tell them?".

"What? There is a reason why people call me "Honest" John." John said with a sly smirk and shrugged.

"I think I like it better when I thought most foxes were dishonest." Stu stated as his places his paw on his face.

After a while, things finally cooled down at the house. The house went back to his regular form of chaos. You know, the calm chaos that only a family 276 kids could provide. The next morning and the morning of Nick's family leaving, Nick was still snoozing the bed. It was 6 in the morning again and the boys tried to wake Nick up.

"Nick. Nick. Time to get up." Eric said.

"Uggggghhhh... this again." Nick said as he covers himself with more blanket. "I told you before average kids sleep in at this time."

"I don't think he is getting up." Eric said looking at his brothers.

"I guess not." Greg said.

"He's probably just gonna have cereal again like yesterday." Conner stated.

"I guess." Greg said shrugging. "I just thought that since today for breakfast, we are suppose to be having... (initiate slow motion)... **bluuueberry paaaancakes...** "

The second he heard those words, Nick's ears twitched.

"...I just thought that he would like to have some." Greg finish saying.

"I don't even think that's gonna get him going." Cole said.

"You would think that he would like blueberries so much that he..." Eric said as he looks back at Nick's bed and realized that Nick was already gone from his bed. "Where... did he?"

The boys looked at the door and saw Nick's tail as he goes off.

"How did he..." Eric said.

"Haha! Guess blueberries are always the key word with Nick." Greg said chuckling.

After several stacks of blueberries pancakes eaten, it was time for the Wildes to pack things up in their car and were getting ready to get back to Zootopia. Everyone was outside getting ready to say goodbyes. John was packing everything in the truck and then closed it.

"That should be everything." John said as he brushed his paws together.

"You double checked?" Frankie asked.

"Of course." John said.

Bonnie was holding a basket of blueberries.

"Here. Take these with you. We know have much you love our blueberries. I even got you a bigger basket." Bonnie said giving the basket to Frankie.

"Thank you. Hopefully this basket will actually make it back home." Frankie said.

Bonnie and Frankie lightly laugh a bit. Stu went over to John.

"Well John, your visit has been... quite an experience." Stu said.

"Just as long as you remember what I taught you." John said.

"I will." Stu said as he puts his paw out wanting to shake John.

"Woah woah. Just shaking? Come on, Stewie. We're family now." John said before opening his arms. "Get in here."

Seemed like John wanted a hug. Stu happily accepted him and went to hug John. Once again, both John and Stu were starting to get emotional again.

"They're gonna grow up before I know it, are they?" Stu said weeping a bit.

"Don't do this to me now, Stu." John said weeping.

Bonnie and Frankie watched their emotional husbands hug.

"We got to do something about our husbands and their emotions." Frankie said.

"Agreed." Bonnie said agree with Frankie.

While this was happening all the kids were saying goodbye to Nick. Greg, Eric, Cole, and Conner were all with Nick.

"It's been great having you here, Nick." Eric said happily.

"Same here. You've been really great roommates." Nick said smiling.

"Take care." Conner said.

"Hope we can be roommates again soon." Cole said.

"Just so you know, next time you come around, I want a rematch." Greg said referring to playing Zoo Fighters Sigma 3.

"Alright. Maybe you will actually beat me in one round." Nick said with a smirk.

"Ah ha. Don't be too cocky, Nick. I play to win." Greg said as he puts his fist up.

"Sure. Just remember, I play to win too." Nick bumping Greg fist.

Cammy came over to Nick next, holding some photos.

"Nick, before you leave, I got the pictures of you developed." Cammy said happily. "Take these with you."

Cammy gave Nick the photos and Nick looked at all of them. They were all pictures of him posing from yesterday. Nick liked what he saw.

"Nice. Each shot turned out great." Nick said happily. "You're gonna be an great photographer one day."

"Guess I have you to thank for that." Cammy happily.

"Feels like I'm getting thanks from everyone." Nick said boasting a bit.

After a bit of a laugh, Cammy then left. Next to go to Nick was Ellinor holding some flash cards.

"Here you go, Nick." Ellinor said giving him the flash cards.

"Flash cards?" Nick said looking at them. He saw all of them with a bunch of Pre-Algebra problems. "Uhhhh... I can't even begin to understand any of this."

"It's Pre-Algebra." Ellinor stated.

"Isn't that like... high school math?" Nick asked.

"If you want to be smart, you need to study early. So be sure to study, okay?" Ellinor said.

"Uhh... sure." Nick said. "I will."

Ellinor then went off.

"I will NOT be studying any of these." Nick thought.

He didn't notice when Edgar showed up.

"You not gonna be studying any of those." Edgar stated with a smirk.

"GAHH! STOP READING MY MIND! Or facial expressions." Nick said a little peeved.

"I just wanted to say... thanks." Edgar said with a light smile. "Guess I was right to count on you. You see, I always wanted my family to change for the better. But I couldn't be the one to change them. It had to be someone else. It had to be you."

"I understand that now... and you are welcome, Eddy." Nick said happily. "Uhhh... I mean Edgar."

"Hmpt! You can call me Eddy." Edgar said smiling.

"Haha! Okay, Eddy. Also, you should come to Zootopia sometime. Or not. Whatever." Nick said in a matter similar to Edgar the first time.

"Heh." Edgar said with a light laugh.

With that said, Edgar left and then Xand, Mikey and Paul showed up.

"Nick, thank you so much for inspiring us to not give up." Mikey said happily.

"No problem. So you're gonna do the band thing?" Nick asked.

"Naturally." Paul said happily. "We even came up with our bands name. Finally."

"Bout time. What's the name?" Nick said.

"We're going with _The Risk Takers._ " Xand said.

"Huh. Nice name." Nick with a smile.

"It came to us a while ago." Xand said shrugging. "With everything you got to take a risk, right?"

"Right." Nick said happily agreeing.

"Nicky, I want you to have this." Xand said as he takes off his jean jacket and gave it to Nick.

"Your jacket?" Nick said surprised.

"Go on. Take it. I got like... 3 more." Xand stated.

"He does. Really." Mikey and Paul said happily.

Nick took the jacket and then put in on. It fitted him pretty good.

"Nice! Looks good on you." Xand said smiling.

"Huh. It does, doesn't it." Nick said liking the jacket. "Thanks Xand."

"No problem. Take care of it." Xand said.

"Will do." Nick said.

With that, Xand and his brothers left and the last one to go to Nick was Judy.

"Sooooo..." Nick said to Judy.

"Sooooo... so weekend, huh?" Judy asked Nick.

"Understatement of the year." Nick answered.

"Haha..." Both Nick and Judy both laughed.

"Listen... Judy, I'm sorry for going behind you back." Nick wanted to apology for causing everything yesterday. "You know I would never do that to you."

"Don't be sorry." Judy said. "Everything worked out in the end. So I should be thanking you for it. It seems that I'm always thanking you for things."

"Second understatement of the year." Nick said with a smirk.

"Yeah yeah." Judy said as she lightly bumped Nick. "Just promise me you won't cause any more havoc."

"If the results are like this, no promises." Nick said smirking again.

"*sigh* Why do I even ask?" Judy said as shook her head.

"So, til next week?" Nick asked Judy.

"Til next week." Judy said.

"By the way..." Nick said with a smirk as he leans down to whisper something Judy. "I saw your baby pictures."

Hear that alone made Judy feel both embarrassed and mad at Nick.

"NI...!" Judy shouted out blushing before Nick put his fingers on Judy's lips to shush her.

"Shhhh. Shhhh Shhhh. Shhhh. You're making a scene." Nick whispered to Judy. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

Judy was still lightly mad at Nick, but knew Nick wouldn't tell anyone about her baby pictures. Nick removed his fingers off Judy's lips and stood back up.

"You sly... sly fox." Judy said smirking.

"Like I told you, I'm a little sly." Nick said with a sly smile.

Even with her being a bit mad, Judy went to Nick and hugged him. Nick did the same and hugged her back. Everyone else was noticing the hugging and it sounded like they wanted to join in.

"Are we hugging Nick? I wanna hug him too."

"Same here."

"Me too."

"Make room for one more."

At that moment, Nick was being hugged by like 100 or so bunnies. You can guess that all the hugging was a bit... tight for Nick.

"Gah! Squeezing fox to death. Please stop." Nick said feeling too much too squeezing from the bunnies hugging him.

After a few minutes, the Wildes got into their car and were ready to drive off. The Hopps all waved goodbye to John, Frankie and Nick as they drove off and back to their home Zootopia. Even if things seemed rocky, the Hopps family is now okay with trying and wanted to do more. Whether they can be successful or not, it's up to them. Just as long as they give it their all. That's what taking risks are all about.

"What an weekend." Nick said to himself.

 **Well that's all for "Wilde Weekend at the Burrows". Thank you all for reading. Sorry if this took longer than you wanted. So a family of settlers and now become a family of triers thanks to Nick. But this story is over yet. What other things our in store for Nick and Judy? Find out next time. Til then.**


	19. Chapter 17: The Song Angel, Gazelle

**Chapter 17. For this chapter, I'm going with light and a bit of funny. Not going to get into much details, but the main characters for this chapter with be Nick, Judy, Finnick, Benjamin, and a certain other character. Again, not getting into details. So we will just have to read and find out. Let's quickly begin the story.**

* * *

In the living room of Nick's house, early in the morning, on the couch sat Nick and his friends, Finnick and Benji. The three boys were just slouching on the couch with cereal boys on their stomachs. Nick was sitting in the middle, Benji was sitting on the left, and Finnick was sitting on the right. They were all wearing pajamas. The boys looked bored as they watched cartoons on TV.

"Soooo bored." Nick said as he was eating his cereal in a drowsy matter.

"Yeaaahhhh..." Finnick and Benji said in a drowsy matter too.

"Can one of you change the channel?" Nick asked.

The remote was on the table in front of them. But none of the boys had enough motivation to reach out for it.

"Can't. It's too far." Benji said. "Finnick, you get it."

"No way." Finnick said. "Nick, it's your house. You change the channel."

"Ugh! Guess we're just keep it here." Nick said too lazy to get the remote.

Seems like the boys wanted to have a lazy day. At that moment, someone open the door and came into the room. It was none other than Judy, wearing a pink and white striped shirt and a dark blue skirt.

"Hello." Judy said happily and introducing herself in the room.

"Nick, bunny girl's here." Finnick said to Nick.

"I do have a name, Finnick." Judy said to Finnick.

"She's right, Finn. It's Carrots." Nick said joking around a bit.

"What are you doing here, Judy?" Benji asked. "You usually don't get here this early."

"We decided to got here really early today. As far as an pick-up truck would take you." Judy stated.

"Is it just you or are your thousands of siblings with you too?" Finnick said making a joke.

"Ha ha... and no." Judy said not to fond of Finnick's joke. "It's just me and my dad today. What are you two doing here?"

"We slept over." Benji stated. "Nick wanted us to spend the night here and our parents give us the okay."

"Cool." Judy said as she closes the door behind her. "Also, I got some news."

"What's up?" Nick said sounding interested.

"My dad is thinking about providing some of our farm fresh veggies to one of the grocery stores here in Zootopia." Judy said. "If that can find a good partner, not only will we be making more money, but we can also visit Zootopia more often."

"That's great news." Nick said excited.

"It is." Judy said happily.

Judy looked on the table and noticed that there was a HUGE box of doughnuts. The box was pink and had an elephant on it.

"Oooooh! I see doughnuts." Judy said seeming excited.

Judy dashed over to the box. But when she opened it, it was nothing but crumbs.

"Emptied?" Judy said a bit upset.

"Yeah... we polished all those off yesterday." Nick said.

"This box is **huge**. These doughnuts must have been the size of hudcaps." Judy stated.

"And they were delicious." Nick said.

"*sigh* Whatever." Judy said still a bit peeved. "Come on, boys. Let's go out."

"Ugggggghhhhhhh..." Nick, Benji, and Finnick groaned.

"What's wrong?" Judy asked the boys.

"It's just that... one second." Nick said.

Nick, Benji, and Finnick all lifted up their bowl gulped down the milk in them simultaneously and finish their cereal.

"Ahhh..." The boys said feeling refreshed from the milk. They then placed their bowls on the table.

"It's just that... while I do love our visits, everytime you visit... we do something. Can't we just for once... have a lazy day?" Nick asked Judy.

"A lazy day?" Judy asked a bit suprised. "Come on. We're in Zootopia. The most exciting city in the whole world."

"Yes... and even the people that live in Zootopia need a break from it." Nick said.

"What about the Zoo-Burrow Scouts?" Judy asked.

"No meeting today." Nick said.

"They're all busy." Finnick said. "Falisha went to the waterpark, Audren is visiting family up north, Ronnie has a sore ankle, Flash is... go-karting, and Mervin lost his marbles."

"Mervin... went crazy?" Judy asked.

"No. He LITERALLY lost his marbles." Finnick stated seriously.

"Shame too. They were all really cool. I wanted to trade for some of them." Nick said.

"Lost marbles or not, we should go and try to have some fun." Judy said.

"Ugggghhhhhh..." The boys went still not wanting to move.

Judy then got on the couch where Nick was.

"Come on. Please?" Judy asked.

"Fox does not want to get up. Fox wants to stay home all day."Nick said to Judy implying that he was the fox.

"Pleeeeeease?" Judy begged Nick with her cute bunny eyes. Nick couldn't even bother saying no to her.

"Fiiiine." Nick said admitting defeat. "If you can wait a hour or 2 until Saturday morning cartoons are over, THEN we will do something. Kay?"

"Kay." Judy said seeming happy.

Judy sat on the couch to watch TV with Nick and the others. There was still one problem.

"Get the remote." Nick, Benji, and Finnick said still to lazy to get it themselves.

"It's right there on the table in front of us." Judy stated.

"Ugggghhhh..." Nick, Benji, and Finnick groaned.

"You boys, so lazy." Judy said as she shook her head.

So after watching some more TV, Nick, Benji, and Finnick got change and decided to go to one of the parks Downtown. Nick happen to be wearing a green shirt, blue jeans, and the jacket he got from Judy's older brother. Benji wore a dark blue shirt with a white line in the the middle and tan pants. Finnick was wearing a red shirt over a white long sleeve shirt and cago shorts. After walking for a bit, the kits all sat on a bench in the park. Nick decided to test himself on how many people that he knew that were at the park right now. Two people were kids. An kuda wearing a black shirt with white pants and an oryx wearing a red shirt with black jeans.

"Okay. See that kudu and oryx there?" Nick said to his friends while pointing at the kudu and oryx.

"Yeah?" Judy said.

"That's Bucky Antlerson and Pronk Oryx." Nick said. "These two go at each other's throats every time they see each other."

"Oh." Judy said.

They then noticed that Bucky and Pronk were arguing pretty loud.

"Shut up!" Bucky said angrily at Pronk.

"No, you shut up!" Pronk said angrily at Bucky.

"You're an idiot." Bucky said.

"You're an bigger idiot." Pronk said.

"Man, forget you." Bucky said.

"Forget you too, man." Pronk said.

"Hmpt!" Bucky and Pronk said as they looked away from each other.

They both then started to walk separate ways and a bit of a steamed matter. Nick and the others noticed this.

"Oh my." Judy said with her paw over her mouth.

"Yeesh! Those two go at it like they were step-brothers who hate each other's guts. Or an old married couple that won't stop complaining." Finnick stated.

"Yeah. They're pretty loud. Don't... expect them to apology for it." Nick stated.

The next person to pass by was a male otter wearing glasses, a green sweater vest and dress pants. He looked like he was in his 20s. Nick also knew who he was.

"Oh! There's Emmitt Otterton." Nick said smiling a bit. Nick then started waving to him. "Hey Emmitt!"

The otter notices the fox greeting him and waves back. "Oh. Hello Nick. How's your dad?"

"Doing great as always." Nick said.

"That's good to here. Tell him and your mother I said hi." Emmitt said with a smile.

"Will do." Nick said giving Emmitt a thumbs up as he walks away. He then told his friends about Emmitt. "Emmitt is one of our store's regulars. He either comes in to get one of his suits fixed or he comes to talk to my dad about things."

"So he's a friend of the family?" Benji asked.

"Pretty much, yeah." Nick said while nodding. "I heard that he's currently dating someone he's really fond of."

"Aww. It sounds like he's found his significant other." Judy said.

"His significant "otter"." Nick said making a joke. "Huh? Huh?"

Nick was expecting a laugh from the joke. Judy, Finnick, and Benji didn't laugh they just shook their heads.

"Hmpt! Flash and Mervin would have laughed." Nick said as he crossed his arms and look a bit pouty.

"Well Flash and Mervin aren't here." Judy stated.

Nick continued to look around and see if he knew anymore people in the park. He then saw a brown boy weasel who was around the same age he was. The weasel was wearing a white t-shirt and baggy blue jeans holding a plastic bag. Nick looked like he didn't seem fond of seeing the weasel.

"Ah jeez!" Nick said.

"What?" Judy asked looking at Nick.

"See that weasel over there?" Nick asked pointed at the weasel. "That's Duke Weaselton. Also known as Duke of Bootleg. He's about our age and he goes to the same school that Ben and I go to."

"Duke of Bootleg? What gave him that handle?" Finnick asked.

"He known to give out what we call **Bootleg Candy**. At school, he likes to sell kids candy for a dollar like it's the high quality stuff when in reality, you can get them in bundles at the 99 cent store." Nick stated.

"What the heck! Last week I bought a lollipop from him." Benji said in a bit peeved.

"Ha. Sounds likes you're the sucker and not the lollipop." Finnick said chuckling a bit.

"Why would kids buy the candies if in reality they are cheaper to get in bundles?" Judy asked.

"Cause at our age, we will pay any price for sugar during school hours." Finnick stated. Finnick then started to ponder the idea. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Oh boy. Here he comes." Nick said seeing Duke walked over to them.

"Heeeeyyy Nicky!" Duke said greeting Nick.

"Hey... Duke." Nick said not to happy to see him.

Duke then put out from his bag a bar of chocolate.

"You and your buddies here interesting in buying some chocolate?" Duke asked.

"No thanks. We're good." Nick said not interested.

"You sure?" Duke asked. He then walked over to Benji waving the chocolate bar in his face. "What about you, big guy? You looked like you had few of these in your day."

It was no surprised that the chubby cheetah always had a sweet tooth. He was eyeballing the chocolate and looked like he was really about to cave in.

"That does look good." Benji admitted.

Nick didn't want his friend to waste his money. So he wanted to send Duke off.

"He's fine, Duke. Now go on." Nick said to the weasel.

"Ehh! Suit yourselves." Duke said shrugging. He then open the wrapper out of his chocolate bar and started to eat it. "Later."

Duke was then on his way. Benji... still felt disappointed in not getting any chocolate.

"I really wanted to have some." Benji said looking sad.

"Trust me Ben, I did you a favor." Nick said patting Ben on the back.

"Alright. Let's get out of this bench before our butts fall asleep." Finnick said jumping off from the bench then scretching a bit.

"Like they were when you were all on the couch?" Judy asked with a smirk.

"It was **suppose** to be our lazy day." Finnick stated still looking up.

"Well now it's your non-lazy day." Judy said still smirk.

"Yeah... yeah..." Nick, Finnick, and Benji said at the same time.

Nick, Benji and Judy then hopped out of the bench and along with Finnick, started walking around the park some more. Adult mammals are walking and talking. Kids were playing tag or hide-n-seek. Nick and the others were thinking doing something to have some fun too. But before they could do that, Judy happen to be hearing something. It was sounding like... singing.

"Hey! Do you guys hear that?" Judy asked the boys.

"Huh?" Nick said looking around but not hearing what Judy was hearing. "I don't hear anything."

"Me neither." Benji said.

"Hold on. I think bunny girl's onto something." Finnick said as his ears wiggled a bit. "I hear something too."

"Well I guess you two would hear something since you both have radars for ears." Nick said with a smirk.

"We're gonna ignore that statement." Judy said looking mad at Nick for his comment.

Judy then focused on hearing the singing. She happens to see a part of the park with a load of trees and bushes. She could tell that the singing was coming from there.

"Follow me." Judy said leading the way.

The four kids all walked over to where the trees were and started to hear more singing. Nick and Benji start to hear the singing now. The closer they walked the louder the singing got. The kits stopped behind some big bushes. They could still hear the singing in front of them.

"Whoever is singing is right in front of these bushes." Judy said whispering to Nick, Benji and Finnick.

"Wonder who's the singer?" Nick asked scratching his chin a bit.

"By the singing, I'm guessing it's a girl around our age." Finnick stated.

"Well... let's take a peek who it is." Judy said.

The four peeked up at the bushes and saw who was singing. The singing was from a young gazelle girl, around the age of 11, with a cute pink dress, small horns, and a bit of blonde hair on the top of her head. The gazelle happily sang and lightly twirled around a bit.

 _¿Dónde estás corazón?_

 _Ayer te busqué_

 _Entre el suelo, y el cielo, mi cielo_

 _Y no te encontré_

 _Y puedo pensar que huyes de mi_

 _Porque mi silencio una corazonada_

 _Me dice que sí_

 _¿Dónde estás corazón?_

 _Ven regresa por mi_

 _Que la vida se me vuelve en ocho_

 _Si no estas aquí_

 _Y quiero pensar_

 _Que no tardarás_

 _Porque en el planeta no existe_

 _Más nadie a quien pueda yo amar_

Even if none of them were able to understand what she was saying, the kids all thought that her singing was beautiful.

"Wow. Her voice is magnificent." Benji said in awe of the gazelle's sing.

"She's not bad." Finnick said.

"Not bad? She's amazing. I don't know what she's saying, but it's good." Judy said happily.

"I don't think I've ever seen her before." Nick said.

"Come on, let's say hi." Judy suggested.

Judy, Nick, Benji, and Finnick got out of the bushes and walked over to the gazelle. It seems that the gazelle was still lost in song. Judy then spoke out to get her attention.

"Hi there!" Judy said greeting the gazelle happily.

This surprised the gazelle a bit. It wasn't like she was expecting anyone to be watching her.

"¿Quién eres tú? ¿Qué estás haciendo aquí? (Who are you? What are you doing here?)" The gazelle said in a spanish accent.

"Uhhhhh... what?" Nick said confused on what the gazelle said.

"I think she's speaking Spanish." Finnick stated.

"Oh dear. I can't even begin to understand what she's saying." Benji said while scratching his head.

"Umm... do you... happen to understand English?" Judy asked the gazelle.

"I... understand." The gazelle said. "I speak it too, but... not too well yet."

The four kids were relief that they could at least be able to speak with her.

"What... brought you here?" The gazelle asked.

"We heard your singing. It was really good." Judy stated.

"You... like my singing? ¡Gracias!" The gazelle said happily. "I... like singing a lot."

"Well you defientely got a talent for it." Finnick stated.

"We should introduce ourselves. My name is Judy." Judy said.

"I'm Nick." Nick said.

"Finnick." Finnick said as he lightly waved.

"And I'm Benjamin. But you can call me Ben or Benji. Everyone else does." Benji said with a wide smile.

"¡Hola! Yo soy... Gazelle." The gazelle said happily.

 **(Pretty obvious that it was Gazelle, right? As you may have notice, Gazelle is most speaking spanish. The reason I did this is mainly because in the movie, Gazelle is played by Latin Pop Star, Shakira. So I feel that Gazelle's first language would have been spanish and her second language should be english. So if it seems that some of the grammar is wrong, that's just how I did it for her. Little heads up, my spanish is spotty at best. So sorry if a few of the translations are off. Now back to the story.)**

"Your name's... Gazelle?" Nick asked while tilting his head a bit.

"Sí." Gazelle said nodding.

"Like... Gah-zelle?" Nick asked.

"No. Jah-zelle! _Jah_ instead of _Gah_." Benji explained to Nick.

"Sí. He is right." Gazelle said nodding again.

"Gazelle the gazelle. Huh. Well I guess some mammals are named what they are." Judy stated.

"Yeah! Look at Finnick. He's a fennec named Finnick." Nick said smirking a bit.

"My name's just fine." Finnick said looking a bit mad.

"Whatever you say, _Just Fine_." Nick said smirking again. Finnick growled at Nick's teasing. Nick then put his attention back to Gazelle. "So Gazelle, I've never seen you around here before."

"My familia just moved here. We move to Zootopia... for better life." Gazelle stated. "Zootopia is city where "Anyone can be Anything", yes?"

"Yep! That's what they say." Judy said to Gazelle.

"But city... it so big it... how you say... much. Demasiado (Too much)." Gazelle said.

"So you feel that the city is a bit overwhelming? Can't blame you. The city is pretty huge and most of us are only so big." Finnick stated.

"If you want Gazelle, you can hang out with us for a bit." Judy said.

"Yeah. I know my way around town." Nick said confidently. "As... long as it's Downtown or Savanna Central."

"You want... be my guides?" Gazelle asked.

"Sure. If you are still new to the city, the least we can do is show you around. I did the same for Judy and her brothers and sisters." Nick said. "So... what do you say?"

"I say... okay." Gazelle said smiling. "Sounds very fun."

"Great." Judy said happily.

"Yay!" Benji said seeming excited.

"Alright Gazelle. Come along with us." Nick said to Gazelle.

"Okay. Wherever you go, I go." Gazelle said.

So Nick, Judy, Finnick, and Benji decided to show Gazelle some of the sites around town. They leave the park and started walking around the street corners. The kids decided to ask Gazelle some questions about herself.

"So Gazelle, do you live Downtown?" Judy asked.

"No. Savanna Central." Gazelle said. "You four?"

"Only me and Ben here." Nick stated. "Judy lives all the way in Bunnyburrow and visits while Finn lives in Sahara Square."

"Ah. I see." Gazelle said.

"Wait. Finnick, you live in Sahara Square?" Judy asked Finnick looking a bit surprised.

"Uhh... yeah. **Desert** fox, remember?" Finnick said pointing at himself.

"Right. I just assumed that you lived Downtown as well." Judy said.

"I may live in Sahara Square, but I go Downtown and to Savanna Central all the time." Finnick said. "I'm fine with living in Sahara and all, but it's always hot over there... and sandy. Besides, everything here and Savanna is where it's at."

"Huh. Alright then." Judy said.

"Where to first? Very curious of where we go." Gazelle said.

"Ummm... how about you do what you did when you gave us a tour, Nick?" Judy said.

"Good idea, Carrots." Nick said. Nick then ran to the front of everyone and did his little intro like the time with the Hopps. "Ahem. Welcome one-and-all to the Nicolas P. Wilde Zootopia Tour. I, Nicolas P. Wilde, will be your guide today. I'm gonna show you guys..."

"Get to the point, Nicky." Finnick said losing his patience.

"No be rude." Gazelle said to Finnick.

"... *sigh* all the amazing sights of Downtown and Savanna Central." Nick said with some motivation down because of Finnick. "Even with all the other districts, I've only been to a few. But my sure you'll get a kick out of the places I'll show you."

"Yes. I very excited." Gazelle said happily.

"Better not disappoint us, Nick." Finnick said smirking a bit.

"I'll try not to." Nick said smirking as well.

So Nick began his tour for Gazelle and the others. Nick's school wasn't too far from where they were, so they went there first. The kids all went to the front of the school.

"This here is Pawside Elementary School. This is also mine and Benji's school." Nick said. "The place we spend 5 days a week in studying, classwork, and boredom with other fellow students."

"Amazing. So prey and predators both go school here?" Gazelle asked.

"Sí." Nick said. "Do prey and predators go to the same school where you use to go to?"

"No. Where I from... prey and predators go different schools." Gazelle said. "One or two schools have both, but not a lot."

"Do prey and preds get along where you are from?" Benji asked.

"Not often." Gazelle said looking a bit sad. "I had friend who was predator. We... really good friends. Did a lot together. But friend's parents, didn't like him being friends with prey. Took friend away and never saw him again. Still very sad about it."

"Oh. Sorry to hear that." Judy said as her ears drooped.

"Well... around hear prey and predators still go at each other, but a majority of them do get along." Finnick said. "Many of our friends are both prey and predators and we all get along just fine."

"Yeah. We see each other for who we are and not what we are." Benji said smiling. "That's basically our motto."

"Friends sound nice. What they like?" Gazelle asked wanting to know about their friends.

"Well there's Mervin. He's a hyena and he loves to laugh. Pretty obvious, right?" Nick said to Gazelle. "There's also Audren who's a moose and a pretty nice guy. Ronnie is a bear with a big heart. Falisha's a white tiger who's a little rough around the edges, but overall, she's a good gal. Last is my good buddy, Flash. The fastest sloth out there."

"I think you're overrating him." Finnick stated while crossing his arms.

"And he really has a good sense of humor." Nick said smiling.

"Now you're **definitely** overrating him." Finnick stated.

"For the first time ever, I agree with Finnick." Judy said.

"Haha. You two BOTH just need to work on **your** sense of humor." Nick said shrugging and shaking his head.

"All friends sound _fantástico_. I... like to meet friends." Gazelle said.

"Unfortunately, they are all busy today. So another time." Nick said. "Alright, let's go. Like I said to the last tour group, no one wants to be near a school on a Saturday."

"No they do not." Judy said agreeing with Nick.

The group then left school grounds and went to the next stop of their little tour. The group stopped at the front Junior Ranger Scouts HQ. Even when most of them felt awkward about being near, they still decided to talk to Gazelle about it.

"This here's... the Junior Ranger Scouts HQ of Pack 914." Nick said.

"Scouts? Escuderos?" Gazelle asked.

"Yep... and all their so-called glory." Finnick said.

Gazelle noticed that everyone had sad looks on his faces.

"Why you all look so sad?" Gazelle asked.

"Well... you see..." Judy said scratching the back of her head a bit.

"Benji, myself, and some of the predators wanted to join the scouts, but the boys that were in it were all prey and they weren't too keen on letting predators join. So they scared each of us off. They... even put a muzzle on some of us." Nick said looking like he still wasn't over it.

"WHAT?!" Gazelle shouted out shock to hear that.

"Yeah... For scouts that are suppose to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy, they weren't any of those things." Nick stated.

"Esos escuchans suenan horribles. (Those scouts sound horrible.)" Gazelle said looking mad. "All bad. They have... no honor for what they did."

"Couldn't agree with you more." Finnick said looking a bit mad as well.

"You don't need to worry about them, Gazelle." Nick said.

"A while back, Nick and Judy got back at all of them for what they did." Benji said. "The two of them outsmarted all of them and scared some sense into them."

"Even after that, they expected me to join them. But I didn't." Nick said a bit serious. "Cause I didn't wan to lose my ethnics."

"I see. What happen to scouts?" Gazelle asked.

"Eventually, they couldn't take the guilt of everything they done. So they all came clean to their scoutmaster and told him the truth." Judy said. "After that, they all got kicked out of the scouts and he also went to their parents."

"Yeah. Hehe! They are currently still being punished big time." Finnick said chuckling a bit.

"They also went to us to apologize for what they did and even though I'm still mad at them for what they done, I decided to forgive them." Nick said. "But even so, we are still making them work for our forgiveness."

"I see. What about Junior Ranger Scouts itself?" Gazelle asked.

"Currently... there are no scouts in troop 914." Nick stated. "After the last pack, the scoutmaster feels that he should have more _trustworthy_ members."

"Then... you can join now?" Gazelle asked.

"Huh?" Nick and Judy said confused.

"The reason you not in scouts was because mean scouts tried to keep you out. But they not scouts anymore. So you can actually join for real now, yes?" Gazelle asked.

The gang took a second to realized that Gazelle was right. If they wanted to, Nick or anyone could join the Junior Ranger Scouts for real if he wanted to. But then Nick started thinking about the reason he wanted to join the scouts in the first place.

"You know what, I think I'm fine." Nick said with a smile. "The main reason why I wanted to join them was to make friends and be a part of a pack. But thanks to forming my own pack, I already have that now."

"Your... own pack?" Gazelle asked.

"Uh huh." Judy said happily nodding. "Nick decided to take a few of us and form a pack on his own called The Zoo-Burrow Scouts. It basically a pack of kits from Zootopia and Bunnyburrow where anyone is aloud to join. Boy or girl. Prey or Predator. We welcome one and all."

"Eso suena fantástico. (That sounds fantasic.)" Gazelle said happily. "Is... it possible if I could be part of pack?"

"Of course. We are always looking for new members. Heck, I was even already planning to ask you if you wanted to join." Nick said. "What do you guys think?"

"I think it's a great idea." Judy said happily agreeing with Nick.

"Me too." Benji said agree.

"Fine by me." Finnick said shrugging a bit.

"Looks like you got the okay. We welcome you to the pack, Gazelle." Nick said welcoming Gazelle.

"¡Bueno! ¡Gracias!" Gazelle said as she happily jumped up and down.

"That means "Thank you!" if you didn't know." Finnick said to everyone else.

"I know SOME Spanish, Finn." Nick stated to Finnick. "Alright, now how about we look around some other spots?"

"Yes." Gazelle said nodded.

"Can we get something to snack on?" Judy asked. She then crossed her arms and looked a bit pouty. "You boys ate all those doughnuts and I didn't get **any** of them."

"Are you **still** on that?" Nick asked Judy. Seems that Judy really wanted a doughnut. "Well, I'm not in the mood for any doughnuts. Like you said, they were the size of hudcaps."

"Mainly cause they were meant for the bigger mammals." Finnick stated.

"They were still good." Benji stated happily.

"Okay. Let's head to Savanna Central. We'll get something from there." Nick suggested.

"Okay." Judy said.

"Sound good to me." Finnick said.

"Let's go." Benji said.

"Yes." Gazelle said.

So all the kids decided to head to Savanna Central next. But first, they needed to take the bus to get there. They all went to the nearest bus stop and waited for the bus to show up. As they all stood by the bus stop, Gazelle was a bit curious about something. Actually... she was curious about Nick and Judy. It wasn't everyday a fox and a rabbit are so comfortable with each other's company.

"Tan extraña. So strange." Gazelle said.

"What's strange?" Benji asked.

"Nick and Judy." Gazelle said.

"Huh?" Nick and Judy said a bit confused on what she means.

"Where I from, foxes and rabbits no get along. Yet... Nick and Judy... they get along just fine." Gazelle said.

"That's because Carrots and I are the best of friends that anyone could ever be." Nick said happily as he went to Judy and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Uh huh. The two of us have a unique kind of friendship." Judy said with a big smile. "The two of us had help each other through tough times and made it out okay. I own Nick a lot and Nick owns me a lot. There's no one I trust more than him."

"Mm hmm! I feel the same way." Nick said happily agreeing with Judy.

"Ohhhhhhh! I see. Nick and Judy are **really** good friends." Gazelle said smiling. "Make... how would you say... **"kiss kiss"** , yes?"

"WHAAAT?!" Nick and Judy shouted out shocked.

Oh dear. It seems that Gazelle thinks that Nick and Judy are a couple. So basically, just like every other one of the friends. Like always, Nick and Judy are never comfortable when someone thinks that they are a couple. Hearing this, Nick took his arm off from Judy's shoulder and the two took a big step away from each other and started to blush a lot. Finnick and Benji were laughing it up.

"Oh ho ho ho! See that? Even Gazelle here knows that you two are a thing. Hehehe!" Finnick said.

"Ga... Gazelle, you got it all wrong." Judy said frantically waving her paws.

"Ye... yeah. There is no **"kiss kiss"** involve." Nick stated as frantic as Judy. But Nick then started recalling the time that Judy kissed him. So technically, there was, as Gazelle stated "kiss kiss" involved.

"Huh. I... confused." Gazelle said.

"Nick and Judy are very shy when it comes to their relationship." Benji said. "But the two of them are so adorable together, aren't they?"

"Sí. Muy adorable." Gazelle said smiling. "An... _"Amor más allá de las especies"_. Love beyond species."

Gazelle said the "L" word. Love. Like before, Nick didn't feel comfortable about that word. By the look at Judy's face, she wasn't too fond of the "L" word either. Judy responded by holding down her ears and looking very embarrassed.

"Ho... hold on! It's not like that at all." Nick said blushing quite a lot.

"Yeah. Nick and I are just friends." Judy said still holding her ears down. "Right Nick?"

"Yeah. JUST friends." Nick stated.

"Mmm hmm! That's what you said before." Finnick said with a wide smirk. He then notice that the bus was coming this way. "Oh. Here comes the bus. Look alive, people."

The bus then stopped in front of them and open it's doors. Benji decided to be a gentleman and let Gazelle get on first.

"After you, Gazelle." Benji said with open arms to the bus door.

"¡Gracias!" Gazelle said happily as she gets up to the bus.

Benji is right behind her and goes inside the bus too. Finnick was next to hop on the bus. Nick and Judy were the only ones who didn't got on the bus yet. They were still feeling embarrassed by Gazelle's comment.

"Why does everyone think that we're a couple?" Judy asked Nick.

"I don't know. You guess is as good as mine." Nick said to Judy. Even with Nick said that, he still that he should ask. "We're... not a couple, right?"

"Oh. Of course not." Judy said blushing a bit.

"Good. I was just making sure, y'know?/ I mean it's not like we date or anything." Nick and Judy said blushing a bit while the other was trying to say something.

"Alright you two sweethearts, you coming or what?" Finnick said to Nick and Judy, telling them to get on the bus.

"Coming." Nick and Judy said. "And don't call us sweethearts."

Nick and Judy finally got on the bus and the bus driver close the door. The kits were then on their way to Savanna Central. After a couple of minutes, the five got out of the bus and made it to Savanna Central. As always, the street were crazy busy. The kits looked around for a nice place where they could get something to eat.

"Hmmm... now are we in the mood for?" Nick asked his friends.

"I'm craving something sweet." Judy said. "Maybe some ice cream."

"Oh. Look up there."Benji said pointing at one of the restaurants.

The restaurant Benji was pointing at was called "Jumbeaux's Cafe". A very popular ice cream joint that primarily caters to elephants and mammals with big appetites. It's famous for their Jumbo sundaes and Jumbo-pops.

"Looks like we're in luck. Jumbeaux's Cafe just happens to be a ice cream parlor." Benji stated.

"Jumbeaux's Cafe? I haven't ate there before." Nick admitted.

"Seen it a few times, but never went in." Finnick said.

"Well then... shall we?" Judy asked the others wanting to go in.

"We shall." Nick, Finnick, Benji, and Gazelle said.

The five walked inside and notices that the Cafe had a bit of a classic ice cream shop feel with it's decor. The workers of the shop were elephants and fixing ice cream to their customers. There was a bit of a line of larger mammals in front of the gang. The mammals in line were mostly elephants and hippos. While waiting for their turn, the kids were trying to figure out what to get by looking at the menu.

"Such a nice parlor." Gazelle said happily.

"Yeesh! Kinda hard to decide what to get." Nick said scratching his chin a bit.

"The sundaes here are bigger than Finnick and I." Judy stated.

Judy then looked at a picture display of the Jumbo sundae and a Junior-size sundae. The Junior-size sundae looked much smaller than the Jumbo sundae.

"Guess we should get the junior-size." Judy said.

"You mean that?" Finnick said to Judy pointing at someone who had the Junior sundae.

The Junior sundae, as smaller as it may be, it was still pretty big for smaller mammals. Judy's jaw dropped when she saw it.

"Yowzers! Even the junior stuff's jumbo." Judy said in awe.

"Well... the shop is meant for the bigger mammals." Benji said.

"Maybe I'll get a milkshake. But I feel that a small shake here is still an XXXXL to me." Nick said.

"Ooooh! You can always share a shake with Judy. You know. One shake, two straws. Like a adorable couple." Benji suggested with his paws on his faces.

Nick and Judy both image themselves sharing a shake together. They couldn't help but blush at that idea.

"NO WAY!" Nick and Judy shouted out.

"We're not doing THAT." Nick said blushing. " **ESPECIALLY** not in public."

"What is with you trying to set us up today?" Judy asked Benji all red-faced.

"Like you two **wouldn't** share a milkshake together." Benji said smirking.

Nick and Judy looked at each other for a second and then they looked away. While they were thinking about it, Nick and Judy didn't want each other to know that.

"Ooooh! Check out those Jumbo ice pops." Finnick said point at the display of ice pops on the counter.

"Jumbo is the right word for them. They are as big as Ben here." Nick stated.

"I know. You could totally use them to make tons of our pawpsicles." Finnick suggested.

"Finn, as true as that is, we can't to that." Nick said. "We'll just use the regular fruit juice we make ourselves."

"Come on. That takes too long." Finnick stated.

"Finnick, we agree that if we ever do the Pawpsicle thing full time one day, that we would do it the fair and honest way with no short cuts. That's the plan and I'm sticking to it." Nick said firmly.

"Nick, you are too honest to be a fox." Finnick stated.

"Not the first time I heard that, Finnick." Nick said with a smirk.

"*giggles* Honest fox is good fox." Gazelle said happily.

At that moment, Nick, Judy and the others were next in line.

"Oh. We're up. Ice Cream's on me, guys." Nick said.

"Well... if you're paying..." Finnick said.

"We're sharing a Junior sundae. Trust me, that's all we're gonna need." Nick said since the junior sundae was so large.

Nick walked over to the counter and where the owner, Jerry Jumbeaux Jr., was near the cash register, ready to take a order. Nick was... tiny compared to most customers, so he had to make his presence noticible.

"Excuse me, sir?" Nick said.

"Huh?" Jerry said looking down at Nick.

"Hi. I would like to order." Nick said with a smile.

"Woah woah! Sorry kid, but you gonna have to get ice cream somewhere else." Jerry said.

Hearing this, Nick smile went away. "What? Why?" Nick asked.

Jerry put a sign on the counter. The sign said "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone."

"Read the sign, kid." Jerry said.

"We... reserve the right to refuse service to anyone..." Nick said looking sad.

"You're not serving him because he's a fox?" Judy said in a bit of protest.

"Oh. That figures!" Finnick said ticked off.

"What did I do? I just wanted to get some ice cream." Nick said getting upset.

"Sorry kid. I got rules and ethics. Now run along." Jerry said telling Nick to leave.

Nick had his head down and looked really sad. This wasn't the first time something like this happen to Nick since he's a fox. But it still hurts all the same. Finnick was no stranger to this either. But he was more mad than sad. Nick then turn to his friends.

"Come on guys. Let's just go." Nick said sadly.

While Nick wanted to just leave, Judy didn't feel too happy about. In fact, she seemed as mad as Finnick looked. Judy was about to walk over to Jerry and give him a piece of her mind. But before she could, it seem that Gazelle wanted to a him a piece of her mind first.

"Un minuto. You won't serve Nick because he fox? That's unfair." Gazelle said in protest as she walks over to the counter. "You know nothing about who he is."

It was a bit surprising to the others that Gazelle was willing to stand up for Nick. Usually Judy's and Nick's other friends are the ones to stand up for Nick.

"I just meant Nick... and he one of the nicest mammal, prey or predator, I ever met." Gazelle stated boldly. "Zootopia is city where "Anyone can be anything", yes? Then why can't he be nice fox?"

"Uhhh... well..." Jerry said scratching his the back his head trying to think of something to say.

"Exactly. Nick just want to get ice cream just like everyone here. Owner should treat all customers fairly. No matter what they are." Gazelle stated. "Nick want to pay for ice cream, he should get to pay for ice cream. Unless... owner likes to upset little kids."

Gazelle made some really good points. Jerry looked at Nick and the others and they just did some innocence smiling. Jerry also notice that a few of his customers were also watching. Seems that a few of them agree with Gazelle. If Jerry said the wrong thing, it could be bad for his business. So he had no choice but to give in.

"*sigh* Welcome to Jumbeaux's Cafe. What would you like?" Jerry said admitting defeat.

"One junior sundae, please? Half chocolate, half cookie dough." Nick said happily.

"Alright." Jerry said about to ask his employee to fix it.

Judy then rushed in front of Nick to say something to him.

"Uhhh... Nick? You might want to request that they scoop that for us... with a glove on their trunk." Judy whispered to Nick, notices that they were scooping ice cream without the gloves on.

"Oh! Good call." Nick whispered back to Judy. Nick then spoke to Jerry. "Can you be sure to put a glove on those trunks? I... rather not have mucus in my ice cream."

"Right..." Jerry said still a bit of a monotone.

So the kids got their ice cream sundae. Like Nick said, it was big enough for each of them to have a nice amount... unless you're Ben, who likes to eat. Everyone loved the taste of the chocolate and cookie dough ice cream. After the sundae was finish, Nick took the cherry and ate it. Everyone seemed satisfied.

"That's... was a good sundae." Nick said happily.

"Mmm hmm." Judy, Benji, and Finnick said agreeing with Nick.

"Muy Delicioso." Gazelle said wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Alright. Now that we had our sweet, I think we should get going." Nick said getting off of the stool.

"Right behind you." Judy said.

Everyone put their feet on the ground and began to make their way out the cafe. Before they Gazelle stopped them for a moment.

"One second, if you would?" Gazelle said.

Gazelle walked over the the front counter again to talk to Jerry again.

"¿Señor Jumbeaux?" Gazelle said to Jerry.

"Yeah? What is it?" Jerry asked still not seeming too happy.

"Gracias por el helado. Thank you... for the ice cream." Gazelle said happily. "Your ice cream... really good. Best I ever tasted."

Jerry was a bit surprised to hear that. He didn't expect to get praise from the same girl who talked back at him.

"Oh... umm... you're welcome, kid." Jerry said being nice.

With that said, Gazelle smile again and left the shop with the others. So the kids went back to walking in the streets of Savanna Central. As the kids walked, The gang all wanted to talk to Gazelle more.

"Say Gazelle? Thanks... for earlier." Nick said with a light smile.

"No problem, Nick." Gazelle said happily.

"Most people don't stick up for me unless they are Judy or my other friends." Nick stated.

"Yeah. To be honest, I was about to do the same thing you were. I'm glad that you did." Judy said.

"Nick is nice. Should be treated fair just like everyone else." Gazelle said.

"Well I get that. But why did you decided to be nice Mr. Trunkface back there." Finnick said.

"Be nice to someone, they be nice to you, yes?" Gazelle asked Finnick said. "No one born mean, things just make them that way."

"Guess I can't argue with that." Finnick said shrugging. "But as much as you want to believe that, you have to understand that not everyone thinks like that. Not even here in Zootopia."

"It's true. But hopefully one day, everyone will." Benji said.

"That's sounds more of a dream than a reality. But who knows? Maybe someday." Finnick said.

"Yeah." Judy said agreeing with Finnick.

"Zootopia... not perfect, but still great city." Gazelle stated.

"No other city I'd rather live in." Nick said smiling. "So... shall we continue this tour?"

"Yes." Gazelle said happily.

So they all continue their tour around Savanna Central. It didn't seem to matter what sites they showed Gazelle, she loved them all. They show Gazelle the ZPD building. Nick and Judy told Gazelle how they both wanted to join the ZPD and become the first fox and rabbit cops. Gazelle seem to fully support both of them and hope that they succeed at it. They checked out some other sites too. Apartment complex, clothing stores, restaurants, parks, and all the lively mammals in the area. They were all having a great day. After a long day, it seems like everyone was ready to wrap the day up.

"So Gazelle... you really like singing, don't you?" Judy asked.

"Yes. My familia always love singing. Mi mamá, mi papá, mi abuela y abuelo, everyone." Gazelle said. "Music in my blood."

"Sounds like you would make a great career as a singer." Nick said.

"Yeah. You can expect me to be a fan." Benji said with a big smile.

"Thank you. Do any of you like singing?" Gazelle asked.

"Nicky here likes to sing a bit." Finnick said smiling slyly.

"Shut up, Finnick." Nick said while gritting his teeth.

"You sing?" Gazelle asked Nick.

"No no no! No I don't." Nick said frantically. A sign that he didn't want to sing.

"But Nick, I heard you sing before." Judy stated.

"Yeah. Didn't you sing to Judy when she was upset with you?" Benji asked.

"That was then. This is now." Nick said before crossing his arms. "Not singing again."

"Come on, Slick. Gazelle wants to hear you sing. You can even sing the same song you sang to me." Judy said to Nick.

"Yes. Sing... please? ¿Por favor?" Gazelle asked.

The first time Nick song to Judy it was just to make her feel better and not be mad with him. But when he song in front of a few of his friends, he felt a bit embarrassed. So that's how he felt a this moment. Even if part of him didn't want to, Gazelle looked like she really wanted to hear him. So he took all the guys he had and decided to sing.

 _Whenever your face has an frown,_

 _I just want to turn it upside-down._

 _I don't mind staying with you for a while,_

 _Just as long as I get to see you smile._

"¡Hurra! ¡Muy bien!" Gazelle said clapping for Nick. "Beautifully done."

"Don't... expect that too much." Nick said with a flushed face.

"You song well, Nick. You shouldn't feel embarrassed." Judy said patting Nick on the back.

"Sí. Judy is right. Be proud, Nick." Gazelle said.

As proud as he felt, Nick still felt embarrassed. Most of the time, he likes to keep his singing on the down low and only do it for fun.

"I do like singing and maybe one day, I will be singer. But also... what to do something else." Gazelle said. "I want to be... Mammal Rights Activist."

"An... Mammal Rights Activist?" Judy said pondering it a bit.

"Sí. I always about acceptance and equality. But like you say, most mammals, even in Zootopia, still no get along. I want to help change that." Gazelle said. "I... want to help relationship of prey and predators improve. So one day, prey and predators can finally live in peace and see others for who they are. Not what they are."

Nick, Judy, Finnick, and Benji were quite surprised by Gazelle saying that. It was very similar to what Nick and Judy wanted to do when they grow up.

"Judy, I do believe that Gazelle is taking a few moves from our playbook." Nick stated to Judy with a smirk.

"I notice." Judy said smirking as well. "Gazelle, you sound like you want to do the same things we want to do. Nick and I also want to make the world a better place."

"It's like you three are on the same wavelength." Finnick said smiling slyly. "But you should know, it's not gonna be easy."

"Might be hard, yes. But... someone has to do it. Why not I?" Gazelle said.

"She's doing it again, Judy. Taking moves from our playbook." Nick said to Judy slyly.

"*giggles* Guess three of us... quite alike." Gazelle said happily.

"Yeah. Quite alike." Judy said. Judy then put her paw out in a fist. "Let's work hard to make our dreams reality."

Nick and Gazelle nodded and put their fist together with Judy's.

"Ooh! Ooh! I'm gonna work hard too." Benji said happily. He then joined his his together with the others.

"*sigh* Hard work isn't really... me, but I don't really like being left out. So..." Finnick said before joining in with everyone else.

They kept them joined together for a few seconds before breaking it up.

"Judy, Nick, Benjamin, Finnick, thank you for... great day. Only seen a bit of Zootopia, but I already love city so much." Gazelle said with a big smile. "I want to know more of what Zootopia has to offer. Want to... _try everything_."

"Haha! Maybe one day, you will. We're young so we got time for that." Nick stated.

"Yeah." Gazelle said to them. "Well... I should get going. Have to get back home."

"It's been really nice meeting you, Gazelle." Judy said smiling.

"Yeah. Really... REALLY nice meeting you." Benji said with a bit of excitement.

"What they said." Finnick simply said.

"Now since you're a new member to our pack, you should know we have meetings on Saturdays at my house. Which is also my family's store, Wilde & Son." Nick said. "Be sure to come when you can."

"I will." Gazelle said nodding. "Thanks again. Adiós."

As everyone said goodbye, Gazelle left them to head to her home. The time they got to know her seemed short, but it was a great day none the less. It's very rare for someone to be so open-minded like Nick or Judy. As they aren't able to see Gazelle anymore, the gang decides to head back home too.

"Gazelle was really nice." Judy said to her friends.

"Yeah. I really liked talking to her." Nick said.

"She's also one of the sweetest girls I've even met." Benji said happily.

"Does... someone have a little crush?" Nick asked Benji with a sly smirk.

"Noooooo." Benji said blushing a bit. "It's just that niceness like that is a rare thing these day."

"He's got a point." Finnick stated. "Let alone for someone who use to live a place where prey and preds didn't get along."

"That and other things aside, I can't wait too know more about her." Judy said.

"Same here. But for now, what do you guys want to do?" Nick asked his friends.

"I have an idea." Judy said with a smile.

Some time later, all the kids with back to Nick's house and to his living room. They turned on the TV and all sat on the couch.

"Ahhhhhhh." Nick, Judy, Finnick, and Benji said feeling relaxed.

"Initiate lazy mode." Nick said.

"After today, I... am... beat." Benji stated.

"Ditto." Finnick said.

"Got to admit, the lazy thing isn't so bad." Judy admitted.

"Yep! No more reasons to go out. Just the four of us and the couch." Nick said as he happily sat on the couch.

Looks like they wanted continue with their lazy day plans. It was a little late, but better late than never. But... there was **one** teeny tiny problem.

"Guys?" Judy said to the boys.

"What?" Nick, Finnick and Benji said not sounding too happy.

"We forgot to get the remote from the table." Judy said with her paw in her face.

"Ugggggghhhhh!" Nick, Finnick, and Benji shouted out.

It looks like they turned their laziness on too soon.

 **That's all for this chapter. So the gang finally got to meet Gazelle and she even joined their pack. What else is in store for Nick, Judy and the others. As always, you will have to wait tell the next chapter.**


	20. Chapter 18: Making more friends

**Here we go, Chapter 18. For this chapter, I thought it would be great if Nick gets to meet up with Judy's Bunnyburrow friends. So this is another chapter that takes place in Bunnyburrow. I feel that all of you are going to really love this chapter a bit. Nick and Judy will also have some more moments together and as always Nick and Judy get teased by their friends whether they are a couple or not. There will also be fluff. There has not been enough Nick x Judy fluff in my last chapters. This will make up for that. Should be fun. Also, I'm taking the time to go through my old chapters to fix errors or add a thing or two to them. It's taking a while, but I'll get it done. Let's start this chapter up.**

* * *

At a busy farmer's market in Bunnyburrow, a bunch of stands had a bunch of products and produce being sold by several bunnies and other mammals. One of the stands just happen to be The Hopps Family Farm's stand. Stu, Bonnie, and a few of the kids were setting up all of their produce on their stand for selling to the public. Helping them out with this was the Wilde Family, John, Frankie, and Nick. John was lifting up a crate of carrots and moving it with direction from Stu.

"Put it down over there, John." Stu said telling John to drop the crate near some other crates behind the stand.

"Right here... and..." John said as he put the crate down. "... there." John then brush his paws together.

"Thanks for helping us out, Johnny." Stu said to John.

"It's no problem at all, Stewie." John said smiling. "I love farmer's markets." John then walked over to Frankie and put his arms around her. "It reminds me of how I reunited with my Frankie again."

"Ahh yes. It's the same for me, my foxy hubby." Frankie said happily to John.

John and Frankie then started to nuzzle each other. As nice as it was to show signs of affection for one and another, Nick wasn't too fond of the sight.

"Ewwwww!" Nick went sticking his tongue out. "Ma, Pop, they're people here."

"Soooorry." John and Frankie went.

"You know how your father and I can get." Frankie said happily.

"Yeah well... could you at least take it down a peg?" Nick asked.

"We'll try." John and Frankie said to their son.

From behind Nick was Judy patting Nick on the back.

"Thanks for helping us out, Nick." Judy said happily.

"No prob." Nick said with a smile. "You know me, I just love to help you and your family. But uhhh... do I have to wear this?"

Nick was wearing blue overalls over a green shirt and a green cap similar to Stu's. Nick wasn't too glad about wearing overalls. It wasn't really his thing. Judy was wearing a white and pink flannel shirt with blue jeans.

"What? You look like you're a real farmer." Judy stated.

"I look like Gideon." Nick said not too happy about that.

"You really do. Add an extra pound or two and you could be his twin. Hehehe!" Judy said laughing a bit.

"Ha ha... really funny." Nick said sarcastically.

As Nick, Judy and everyone else stood by their stand, they noticed after a few minutes in, they... were pretty slow. People were walking by, but they weren't buying anything from them.

"*sigh* Looks like it's gonna be another slow day." Stu said a little down.

"The day's still early." Bonnie said.

Nick walked up and noticed some of the other stands out there in the farmer's market today. Nick thought it would be a good idea to look at some of the other stands. He went over to Judy to ask her if she wanted to join him.

"Say Carrots, want to check out some of the other stands and do some recon?" Nick asked Judy.

"Okay. Sounds like a plan." Judy said nodded.

So Nick and Judy went off to check out some of the other stands out there. As they went off, their parents were trying to think of a way to increase their business a bit.

"Stu, I know a thing or two about business savvy. So from what I can tell you, you need to do something to peek everyone's interest more." John suggested.

"We're doing that. Our carrots speak for themselves." Stu said as he pulled the straps of his overalls. "We even had a few of the young'uns make this new sign."

One of Judy's brothers was the one holding that sign. The sign that the Hopps kids made said in big letters "Hopps Family Farms" and below that said "Best carrots in the Burrows" in smaller letters. The sign was pretty colorful and in the shape of a carrots.

"Ehh... it's a good sign, but I think you need more than that." John said.

"Oh. I know. Johnny, didn't you use to spin signs?" Frankie said to John.

"That was waaaaay back when I was a kid working at that pizza joint." John said while he scratched his chin. "I'm a bit rusty, but I guess I could give it a shot."

Meanwhile, Nick and Judy were still looking at all of the stands around the farmers markets. Most of them were rival farms owned by bunnies.

"Wow! Look at all of the stands." Nick said to Judy.

"Yeah. As you can see, competition is tough for us these days." Judy said. "But I'm sure our farm will still do well. We have a way with vegetables that..."

As Judy went to on, Nick's mind kinda wondered. He then looked at some of the stands that interested him and went off on his own. As Judy still went on and didn't notice Nick left.

"... so I know we're gonna be just fine. Don't you agree, Nick?" Judy asked hoping Nick would respond, but there was no response. Judy then turned around to finally realize that Nick was gone. "Nick? Nick?" Judy turned around to see if she could fine him. She wasn't having any luck looking for him. "Ah jeez, Slick. Where did you go?"

Meanwhile with Nick, he was gazing at some of the other stands. However, it was hard to find anything... interesting when most farms owned by bunnies only have carrots.

"Carrots, carrots, carrots, more carrots, carrot jam, roasted carrot on a stick. It's like these bunnies always have carrots on the brain." Nick thought not into everything being carrots. Nick then saw some produces that actually weren't carrots. Some delicious looking fruits. "Here we go. Apples, grapes, raspberries, peaches. All pretty tasty fruits." Nick then started getting the scent of sweet and fresh strawberries. While they weren't blueberries, Nick still like them all the same. "Wow! Those strawberries look and smell soooo good. Maybe I should get some later."

As Nick walked and looked at more the foods, he was paying attention to what was in front of him. He then bumped into two other kids. Two boys. One was a jaguar and the other was a cougar. As the three bump into each other, they all fell into the ground and rubbed their heads to ease the pain.

"Owww..." Nick said rubbing his forehead. He then looked at the two kids he bumped into. "Dudes, I'm sooooo sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Ugghh... it's okay, man." The jaguar said.

"No harm, no foul, right?" The cougar said.

It seem that the two weren't gonna hold a grudge on Nick. Which was good. But what Nick didn't know was that theses kids just happen to be two of Judy's friends. Kyle Jagger and Bobby Catmull. Nick then helped them back up. While Nick didn't really know these two, he did feel that he knew them from somewhere.

"Hey, you guys look familar. Have... I seen you two from somewhere before?" Nick asked the two felines as he scratch the right side of his head.

"I don't think so." Kyle stated.

"Hold on. Are you related to Gideon?" Bobby asked looking at Nick's attire.

"Related to..." Nick said a bit surprise to hear someone say that. "Ohhhh. I get it. Because I'm a fox and I'm wearing overalls."

"Oh... no. I wasn't trying to offend you or anything." Bobby said.

"It's fine. No, I'm not related to him, but I do know him." Nick said.

"Huh. So I guess you should give you our names. I'm Kyle." Kyle said introducing himself.

"I'm Bobby." Bobby said introducing himself too.

"My name is Nicholas. But call me Nick." Nick said with smile.

The second Nick mentioned his name, Kyle and Bobby's eyes widen. The two then looked at each other and then looked back at Nick.

"Wait? **YOU'RE**... Nick?" Kyle and Bobby said stunned.

"As in... Nick Wilde?" Kyle asked.

"As in... Nick Wilde from Zootopia?" Bobby asked.

Nick was starting to look a bit weird out.

"Uhhh... you know for two guys who say they don't know me, you seem to know who I am I and where I'm from." Nick said still looking stunned.

"Oh ho! So you're the Nick Wilde that we've heard so much about." Kyle said smiling a bit.

"Nice to finally meet ya, dude." Bobby said happily shaking Nick's paw.

"Uhh... same here." Nick said still a bit weird out. "How... do you know me?"

"Oh right. You don't know. See the two of us are good friends with Judy." Bobby said.

"You know Judy?" Nick said a bit surprised. Then it finally hit Nick. "Now I know where I've seen you guys from. You guys were in Judy's play."

"You got it. I played the role of the savage tiger... even though I'm not one... and Bobby did the music." Kyle said.

"I knew I seen your faces from somewhere." Nick said while smirking and doing the double finger guns. "I don't forget a face often."

"Good to hear. Especially since you're... Judy's boyfriend." Bobby said smirking.

Once again, it was happening. Friends of Judy were calling Nick as Judy's boyfriend. As always, it felt Nick was getting struck by lightning just hearing that word.

"Unless there's a space in the middle, that's not the case." Nick said blushing a bit and looking a bit peeved.

"Haha. You even get mad like her." Kyle said trying not to laugh too much.

"Yeah. Haha. Everyone always assume that you two are boyfriend and girlfriend." Bobby said happily.

"Is that so? Why's that?" Nick asked still blushing a bit.

"Cause she talks about you all the time. I mean ALL the time" Bobby stated. "For the first two weeks after she met you, she went on and on about you. Nick this and Nick that."

"After a while, she started feeling down that she may not get to see you again. But then she met you a second time, and started to get perky again. Then she tells us that she was gonna start visiting you every week at Zootopia. All because she became friends with you." Kyle stated.

Nick was surprised to hear all this. He didn't knew that Judy talked about him to her friends so much. Let alone knew that she talked about him all the time.

"So Carrots talks about me that much, huh? Well... I am a pretty awesome guy." Nick said not sounding modest.

"NICK!" Someone from behind Nick shouted. It was Judy, of course.

"That's got to be her right now." Nick said with a sly smile.

Judy ran over to the front of Nick and didn't look to happy with him ditching her.

"Slick Nick, that was not nice of you running off without letting me know." Judy said to Nick.

"What? I knew that you would find me eventually." Nick said shrugging and smirking.

Judy then looked behind her and notice that her friends from school are with him.

"Oh. I see you already met up with Kyle Jagger and Bobby Catmull." Judy said.

"Hey Judy." Kyle and Bobby said waving at her.

"Yeah. But it was more "bump into" than "met up"." Nick stated.

"That so? So what did you guys talked about?" Judy asked a bit curious.

"Just about a few things." Nick said. "Like how often you talk about me... and..." Nick then started have slightly mad look on his face. "... they... called us that thing that everyone thinks we are." Nick was referring to the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing.

"That again?" Judy said looking peeved and blushing a bit. "Why does everyone think that?"

"It's not our fault you guys make it look that way." Bobby stated shrugging.

"*sigh* Why do I even bother with you guys?" Judy said with her paw in her face.

"Anyway Judy, we were just about to meet up with some of the others later. Do you and Nick want to come?" Kyle asked.

"The... others?" Nick asked looking at Judy.

"You know, my friends. The same kids that you saw during the Carrot Days Festival." Judy said to Nick.

"Oh. Them." Nick said recalling the kids that he saw before.

"So... wanna come?" Bobby asked.

"Sure. I would like to meet those guys again and know them a bit better." Nick said with a smile. "But we should go back and let our folks know first."

"Good idea." Judy said agreeing with them. "Let's head back to their stand and tell them."

"We'll come with." Bobby said.

"Alright." Judy said.

So Nick, Judy, Kyle and Bobby went over to the Hopps Family Farm stand. As they walked over there, they were all starting to notice that there was a huge crowd of people surround the stand. Curious, the four kids all went over there to see what was the deal. Turns out it was the crowd aweing the sight of a sign-spinning fox by the name of John Wilde. John impressed the crowd with tricks like spinning the sign one with one paw in a circle. He then throw the sign in the air, did a quick spin and then caught it with his paws behind his back. The crowd cheered with the sight of John's trick. This included Kyle and Bobby.

"Nick, is that your dad?" Kyle asked.

"Is that fox spinning the sign all awesome-like my pop? Yes. Yes is it." Nick said proudly.

"Wow. 10 seconds and he's already the coolest dad ever." Bobby said.

"You still got it, Johnny." Frankie shouted out cheering her husband on.

"Like I ever lost it." John said with a smirk as he spin the sign.

"Wow. John is really good." Bonnie said.

"... aaaand he's hauling in a huge amount of customers." Stu said happily.

John then stopped spinning the sign and called out to Stu.

"Hey Stu, want to give it a shot?" John said offering Stu a try in spinning.

"Me? Oh. No thanks." Stu said not to eager to try.

"Come on, Stewie. At least try." John said not wanting to give up.

"I said no. I'm fine." Stu said still not wanting to try.

"Don't let me start up an chant with everyone here." John said smiling slyly.

"You wouldn't." Stu said looking a bit worried.

Just like that, John started up a chant with the crowd. "Stttuuuu! Stttuuuu! Stttuuuu!" It didn't take long for the crowd to start joining him. "Stttuuuu! Stttuuuu! Stttuuuu!" Even Stu's kids, Nick, Judy, Kyle, and Bobby joined in. "Stttuuuu! Stttuuuu! Stttuuuu!" Due to all the cheering and not wanting to be a killjoy, Stu gave in and decided to walk over to John and give the sign spinning a shot.

"Alright. I guess I'll give it a shot." Stu said.

"Heehee! I knew you would do it after everyone started chanting." John said slyly.

John gave Stu the sign. Stu did seem a bit nervous cause he felt that he wasn't gonna do as good as John. John was nice enough to give him a few pointers.

"Now, it's all in the wrist." John said. "First, start with turning the sign a 360 degrees clockwise."

"Easy enough." Stu said. He then slowly turned the whole sign 360 degrees clockwise.

"Good. Now turn it counter-clockwise. But also be a little faster." John said to Stu.

"O...kay." Stu said. He then spin the sign counter-clockwise a bit faster than the first time.

"Good. Now clockwise again. But this time keep spinning it." John said.

"Al... right." Stu said as he spins the sign some more. He tried to keep a steady speed.

"A bit faster." John said to Stu.

Stu spun the sign faster.

"Faster." John said wanting him to pick up the speed.

Stu was a bit more nervous, but he still spun the sign faster like John said.

"Now... toss the sign up in the air." John said to Stu while pointing at the sky.

Stu threw the sign really high in the sky and it spins rapidly. As everyone looked up, Stu was feeling really really nervous.

"What do I do now?" Stu asked.

"Catch it, Stu." Bonnie shouted out from behind the stand.

Stu was scared. He was afraid of failing. While failing to catch a sign wasn't a big deal, he was still afraid of failing none the less. It also didn't help that some many people were watching him. But overtime, thanks to John, he has been more confident with trying. So he had some courage and as the sign fell down to him... he caught it with both paws perfectly. The crowd all applause for Stu. Especially Judy and the others.

"Alright dad!" Judy shouted out happily.

"That was awesome, Mr. Hopps." Nick said cheering for Stu as well.

Since Stu did so well with the sign spinning, some of the people thought it was from eating some of their produces. So they all thought about getting some of their veggies. A big line started to form by their stand. Stu was still in shock and awe that he actually did well.

"I... can't believe that I actually did it." Stu said.

"See? Trying is good. And you even got more customers for it. You're welcome." John said with a smirk.

Stu felt a bit more alive after that. With a smile on his face, Stu walked back to the stand to tend to the new line of customers. Nick, Judy, Kyle, and Bobby went over to John.

"Hey pop!" Nick said greeting his dad.

"Nick. Judy. There you two are." John said to his son and his rabbit friend. John then notice the jaguar and cougar with them. "Umm... who are these two with you?"

"These are my new friends, Kyle... and Bobby." Nick said happily.

"Hey Mr. Wilde." Kyle and Bobby said waving at John.

"New... friends?" John said as his eyes widen.

Now... John is always okay with Nick making new friends. But because they were foxes, John always worried that it would be hard for Nick to make friends. It was only after meeting Judy that Nick has been able make so many friends. Because of Nick making more and more friends ... John has become a bit... emotional. He was happy... just... emotional. He was doing his best not to break into happy tears.

"That's... great." John said happily and trying his best not to cry. "Great... that you're making new friends."

"Anyway pop, Judy and I want to hang out with them and a few of our other friends for a while." Nick said to John.

"Other friends?" John said starting to wobble a bit.

Oh dear. Just hearing the fact that Nick is hanging out with more friends has made John feeling emotional a bit more. Nick and the others were starting to notice.

"Uhhh... pop, are you okay?" Nick asked.

"Ye... yeah. I'm... I'm fine." John said trying not to cry.

"So... is it okay if we can go?" Nick asked his dad.

"Sure. Sure. Of course. Hang out with your friends." John said happily. "But first..." John then grabbed Nick's paw. "Son, do you mind if we talk for a minute? Just... a minute."

"O...kay." Nick said willing to talk.

So John took Nick from behind the Hopps' stand to talk to him for a bit.

"So pop, what did you want to talk about?" Nick asked.

"It's just that well..." John said as the tears started coming down to his eyes. "... recently you have been making a lot friends... and... you have no idea how happy that makes me."

"Oh pop." Nick said feeling a bit embarrassed.

John then got on his knees than hugged his son.

"I just want you know that... I love you, son... and I'm really happy for you." John said tearing up some more.

"Pop, they already think you're a cool dad. Don't lose that." Nick said wanting his dad not to hug him so hard.

Hearing that, John stopped hugging his son and got back on his feet.

"Right. Sorry." John said wiping the tears from his eyes. "Cool dad. That's me."

Frankie then walked over to Nick and John.

"Johnny, why were you getting emotional again with our son?" Frankie asked seeing what happen.

"Oh... pop is just happy that I just made two new friends." Nick said to his mom. "I'm also about to make like... 3 more."

Frankie was silent for a bit. Frankie then dashed to Nick and hugged him. Now it seem that Frankie was the one getting emotional.

"My sweet baby boy." Frankie said crying happy tears as she held her son tightly

"Aww ma! You too?" Nick said feeling more embarrassed.

"You're making so much new friends. I'm so happy for you." Frankie said happily.

"O...kay." Nick said as he slipped out his mom's hug. "Now can I go?"

"Oh. Sure." Frankie said wiping her tears off. "Don't keep them waiting."

"Right. See ya." Nick said nodding.

So Nick ran to Judy, Kyle and Bobby. As he did, John and Frankie were still getting emotional.

"*sniff* Our baby's growing up so fast." Frankie said to John.

"*sniff* It's another good day to be a parent." John said with his voice breaking a bit.

While his mom and dad were... you know... being emotional parents, Nick walked with his friends. They were a little curious on what his dad wanted to talk to him about.

"So, what was that about?" Kyle asked.

"Well, you know." Nick said to Kyle.

"Let me guess. Emotional parents?" Bobby asked.

"You... actually know?" Nick asked surprised.

"Dude, we ALL have emotional parents." Bobby stated.

"You seen my mom and dad, Nick." Judy said.

"Guess even the coolest parents can still be embarrassing." Nick stated.

"Well said." Judy, Kyle and Bobby all said agreeing with Nick.

So the four of them went off to meet up with Judy's other friends. The same kids from the Carrot Days Festival and from Judy's school. The black sheep girl, Sharla, the white sheep boy, Gareth, and the little bunny girl with golden-brown fur, Libby. The three of them were waiting for Kyle and Bobby to meet them at the park sitting near the sandbox. After a couple of minutes of walking, they made it to the park.

"Kyle, Bobby, there you guys are." Sharla said.

"Sorry if we're a little late." Kyle said.

"We brought these guys with us." Bobby said.

Judy and Nick came from behind them.

"Hey guys." Judy said happily to her friends.

"Hello again." Nick said waving at them.

"IT'S HIM!" Sharla shouted out excitedly. "Judy's boyfriend!"

It happened again. Someone calling Nick "Judy's boyfriend". Nick and Judy were slightly blushing and not amused about this anymore.

"Is that... is that a thing around these parts? Cause I'm telling you right now, it's NOT funny." Nick stated with a not too happy face.

"Not... one... bit." Judy said with the same face as Nick.

All of their friends responded by laughing.

"Nick gets mad just like Judy does." Sharla said to everyone else.

"We know, right?" Bobby said chuckling a bit.

Nick and Judy didn't like all the teasing, but they quickly get over it.

"If you guys are done... let me reintroduce you to Nick again." Judy said to Sharla, Gareth and Libby.

"Hi Nick." Sharla said greeting Nick.

"Nice to see you again, Nick. " Gareth said greeting Nick.

"Nice to see you again too,... uhhh." Nick said before trying to remember their names. Except that he didn't know their names. "Ah jeez! I didn't get your names last time."

"Right. We didn't say who they were." Judy said realizing that. "Over there is Sharla..." Judy said as she pointed at Sharla. "... that's her brother, Gareth..." Judy then pointed at Gareth. "... and the bunny over there is Libby." Judy then lastly pointed at Libby.

"Sharla, Gareth, and Libby. Got it." Nick said memorizing their names.

"That's our names, so don't forget them." Libby said to Nick.

"It will be no problem. If Judy's didn't already told you, I already memorized all her brothers and sisters' names. Three more are cakewalk." Nick stated confidently.

"Great." Sharla said clapping her hoofs together. She then walked over to Nick and grabbed his arm. "Come on. Sit sit. We wanted to talk to you about a lot of things."

"Okay." Nick said.

All the kids sat by in the sand box to do some talking.

"Hey. Can I ask all of you something?" Nick asked them.

"Sure. Ask us anything." Libby said willing they answer Nick.

"Quick question, why does EVERYONE think that I'm Judy's boyfriend? Seriously." Nick asked firmly.

"Heeheehee! It's pretty obvious why." Sharla said trying to hold her giggling.

"Like we told you before, Judy talks about you all the time at school." Kyle said to Nick.

"Kyle!" Judy shouted out blushing.

"It's true. She really likes visiting you in Zootopia. If not just for the city." Gareth said.

"Gareth!" Judy shouted out still blushing.

"Then everytime one of us call you her boyfriend, she would always reply "With a space in the middle."." Sharla said with a smirk.

"Carrots, how... often have you use the "space in the middle" reply?" Nick asked Judy curiously.

"Way too many times." Judy simply said with a flushed face.

"All things asides, Judy said that you were a very great person and one of the most kind and trustworthy mammals she has ever known." Libby said. "And you being a fox, that says a lot."

"Hmm. Thanks." Nick said smiling.

While Nick wasn't happy with the teasing, he did like that Judy's friends thought that he was kind and trustworthy. It was good that they saw him for more than just a fox. There was one more thing that Nick was curious about as she sat by Sharla.

"Sharla, this is gonna sound weird. But I really want to ask this." Nick said to Sharla.

"What is it?" Sharla asked.

"Can I... touch your wool?" Nick asked.

"Nick! You don't just ask a sheep if you could touch their wool." Judy stated.

"What? It's just that... sheep never let me get this close... and I was always curious on what sheep's wool feels like." Nick said sounding really curious.

"Still... you don't just..." Judy said before Sharla spoke up.

"It's fine, Judy." Sharla said.

"Are you sure?" Nick asked being sure that it's okay.

"Yep. You're not the first mammal to ask. First fox, but not the first mammal." Sharla said.

"It's true." Gareth stated.

Sharla then lean her head down a bit.

"Go on." Sharla said.

Since she gave out the okay, Nick slowly reached his paw to the top of Sharla's head. He lightly tap on the wool on her head and Nick was a bit surprise how flexible it looked. He then placed his whole paw on Sharla's wool and was in awe of the softness.

"*awing* Soooooo... fluffy!" Nick said happily as he petted Sharla's wool. "It's like... cotton candy. No wonder why so much mammals love sheep's wool so much."

"Are you done now?" Sharla asked starting to feel weird about it.

"Yes. Thank you." Nick said as he stopped. Nick then put his tail up front. "If you want, you can pet my tail a bit."

"Really?" Sharla asked.

"Sure. Judy and her sisters pet my tail ALL the time." Nick stated.

"I do not." Judy said in a bit of a fit.

"No. You do. You just don't like to admit it." Nick said slyly.

"... Your tail is really fluffy, okay." Judy said a bit embarrass to admit it.

Sharla started petting Nick tail. She was surprise that Nick's tail was so soft and fuzzy.

"Wow. I didn't know fox tails were so... fuzzy." Sharla said.

"Our tails have always been one of us foxes best features." Nick said with a confident smile as he put his tail back behind him. "Well... besides our noses... and pawpads."

"Can't argue about the pawpads." Kyle said agreeing with Nick while also showing his pawpads.

"Yeah. Pawpads are awesome." Bobby said agreeing also well. Bobby was also showing off his pawpads.

"Pawpads are overrated." Gareth said.

"How dare you." Nick, Kyle, and Bobby said feeling a bit offended.

"Figures someone with hooves wouldn't understand the greatness of having pawpads." Nick said sounding poise.

"Couldn't agree more." Bobby said again with Nick again.

Seems that mammals like Nick, Kyle, and Bobby enjoy having pawpads a lot to have a conversation like the one they are having. All paw and hoof conversations aside, Libby wanted to ask Nick something about his current... attire.

"Nick, I wanted to ask. Did you know with those overalls you have one that you kinda look like Gideon Grey?" Libby asked Nick.

"Wow. That's... totally the first time I heard that today." Nick said sarcastically. He then realize something. He didn't know how these guys felt about Gideon after the last time. Nick start to look concern "Oh. That's right. Listen, are you guys all... okay with Gideon now? Cause Gideon and I have been becoming really good friends."

"Don't worry about that Nick." Judy said.

"Yeah. Gideon went to all of us and apology for bullying us." Sharla said. "He also told us why he became a bully."

"We had no idea that Gideon had it so hard." Gareth said. "So we understood why Gideon acted the way he did."

"We all forgave him and decided to become friends with him." Libby said with a smile.

"*sigh* That's good to hear." Nick said with his paw in on his chest and looking relieved.

"Actually... we even invited Gideon over to join us." Sharla said. She then looks over to the horizon and spots someone at the distance. "Oh. What do you know? I think that's him coming right now."

The kids all turned around and look. Like Sharla said, it was Gideon coming this way. But not just Gideon. His friend ,Travis, was also with him, holding a round red ball. Nick was always happy to see Gideon, so he was to first to walk over to him and greet him.

"Gid!" Nick said happy to see Gideon.

"Well well. Look who's come to town today?" Gideon said happy to see Nick as well.

"Say Gideon, you didn't told me you had a twin." Travis said joking a bit since Nick was wearing overalls like Gideon.

"Oh I don't talk about him much. As you can see, I got the looks in the family." Gideon said joking around as if Nick and Gideon were twins.

"Dream on. If anyone has the good looks, it's this fox right here." Nick told them sounding poise again.

"Hahaha!" Gideon laughed. "It's good to see ya, City Boy."

"You too." Nick said happily. Nick then put his attention to Travis. He remember him from the first time he visited Bunnyburrow, but this was the only other time he saw him. "You're... Travis, right?"

"Yeah... that's my name." Travis said looking and sounding a bit nervous. "You probably remember me... from before. Listen... I..."

"Hold it!" Nick said raising his paw near Travis's face and wanting him to stop. "There's no need for apologies. I already forgiven Gideon a long time ago, so I see no reason I shouldn't forgive you. Let's just say that everything is water under the bridge."

"Thanks." Travis said relieved that he was forgiven for being a bully like Gideon. "Anyway, I brought my ball. Anyone what to play some catch?"

"Sure." Nick said.

"Sounds fun." Judy said.

"I'm game." Bobby said raising his paw.

"Me too." Gareth said.

So the kids all agree to play catch with the ball that Travis brought. They all got into a circle and pass the ball around to each other. After throwing the ball for a bit, Nick was the next one to catch the ball. As Nick caught the ball, he wanted to ask Travis something.

"Travis? I don't want to sound blunt, but I got to know. Why were you a bully?" Nick asked Travis as he threw the ball to him.

Travis caught the ball and then answered Nick. "The same reason as Gideon. Us weasels have it just as bad as foxes. Maybe even worst. You know... with everyone thinking that we are all sneaky and conniving." Travis then threw the ball at Gideon and he catches it.

"Everyone judged Travis just like they judge me before even getting to know him." Gideon said. "The two of us stuck together because we knew how each other felt." Gideon then pass the ball to Judy and she caught it.

"And that's when you two decided to become bullies. It was easier to be that instead of being what you were really like." Judy said.

"Exactly." Travis said.

"It didn't help that we just went and believe that." Judy said passing the ball to Kyle.

"It's not like other predators haven't been having a rough time here either. A few mammals have been scared of my dad on more than one occasion." Kyle said as he throws the ball of and catches it. "But like most of us he doesn't let it get to him." Kyle then pass the ball to Nick.

"Sounds like what my pops does." Nick stated. "Some people think since he's a fox that he's trouble. But my pop never lets things like that get to him. As his son, I try to live up to his example. But uhhh... it hasn't been that easy for me." Nick passes the ball to Sharla to catch.

"You mean... trusting others who turned out not to trust you?" Sharla asked Nick.

Nick froze for a second from what Sharla said. He looked a bit shaken. It felt that... it felt that they knew. "So... Judy told you what happened to me, didn't she?"

Sharla and others were silent, but they simply nodded their heads.

"Right... I guess that isn't really news anymore." Nick said sadly and with his head down.

"We're sorry that had to happen to you." Sharla said being sincere. "What happen to you, we wouldn't wish that on anyone. Especially to someone who doesn't deserve to be treated like that." She then passes the ball to Gareth.

"What those guys did to you was wrong. Putting a muzzle on you for wanting to join their pack? Unforgivable." Gareth said angrily. "Makes me feel angry to be a prey mammal like them." Gareth then pass the ball to Kyle.

"I'd like to see them try that with me. Thought I was vicious in the play, you ain't seen nothing yet." Kyle said in a bit of a tone before passing it with great force to Travis. The force was a bit much for Travis as he almost fell over when it hit him in the gut. Kyle realized that he may have overdone it. "Oh. Sorry Trav."

"I'm good. Ugh... Still alive... barely." Travis said as he rubbed his gut.

"Guys, while your anger is appreciated, it's not necessary." Nick said to them. "We got back at them not too long ago."

"What... did you do to them exactly?" Libby asked as she catches the ball from Travis.

"Simply put, we outsmarted them." Nick said with a smirk.

"I used the carrot pen that's also a recorder on them. Once they said the right things I wanted them to say, we were able to use their words against them." Judy said with a smirk as well.

"Nice." Bobby said as he catches the ball from Libby. "So what happen next?" Bobby then passes the ball to Judy.

"Well... they weren't too happy about that. They tried to steal the pen from me. But Slick here was one step ahead of them." Judy said as she passes the ball to Gideon.

"City Boy pretended that he went savage and gave 'em all a good scaring." Gideon said with a smirk. "After that, Nick said some deep words to 'em that cut like a knife through butter and got out of there. Not wanting to be a part of a pack like that." Gideon passes the ball to Kyle next.

"Good. You made the right choice not joining them." Kyle said as he passes the ball to Nick.

"Yeah... I guess." Nick said a bit sadden. He didn't seem like he wanted to pass the ball anymore. The others started to look at him and started to look concern for him.

"Nick, don't be sad." Judy asked.

"Yeah. Judy and Gideon told us how much that met to you. But even so, you did the right thing." Sharla said to Nick.

"No. I was okay with making that choice. In fact, my lives been pretty good since then." Nick said.

"Then why do you look so down?" Gareth asked.

Why did Nick look sad? What did Nick had to be sad about? Like he said, his life has been pretty great so far. Or... was that the problem? Nick put down the ball before spoke.

"Like I said, my live has been great. I got a bunch of friends now, my family's store is doing better, people actually trust me now. My life could never be better." Nick stated. "But I feel that's the problem."

"Huh?" The other kids said.

"I'm use to being down or in the middle. But... now things are going up for me... I'm scared." Nick said shaking a bit.

"Scared?" Judy said looking confused by what Nick means.

"You're worried that now your life is so good, that sooner or later things will go down for you again." Gideon said.

"Yeah." Nick said admitting it.

Everyone understood what Nick meant. It wasn't like all foxes were getting it as good as he was. So if things were ever to go back people not trusting him, unpaid bills, and having no friends, Nick probably couldn't handle it and might go back to not trying anymore. Gideon walked over to Nick... and bopped him on the head.

"Owwwww!" Nick shouted out with both paws on his head where Gideon hit him. "What was that for?"

"You're doing again, City Boy. Overthinking things and being mopey because of it." Gideon said crossing his arms. "I thought you weren't gonna act like that anymore."

"I... I did, didn't I?" Nick said realizing that.

"That's right. You are also not the kind of person to be scared of things." Judy said as she walks over to Nick. "Whatever happens, whether up or down, you have friends like us to help you out."

"Yeah. Judy's right, Nick." Sharla said agreeing with Judy.

"So if you are ever feeling down, just come to us to talk about it." Bobby said to Nick.

"Yeah. So no more mopey Nick, alright?" Gideon said.

After hearing all this, Nick finally snapped out of it. He smack his face a bit and went back to his happy and confident smile.

"Right. No more mopey Nick." Nick said smiling widely.

"Ah ha. There's that famous Nick smile we all hear so much about." Travis said happily.

"Yeah. I'm back to being..." Nick said happily before realizing a word that Travis said that made him feel surprised. "... wait. What do you mean by "famous"?"

"Oh, Judy didn't told you?" Libby said to Nick.

"Nick, you're actually pretty popular around these parts. Especially around school." Gareth said.

Hearing this, Nick eyes widen and he dropped the ball he was still holding.

"WHAT?! I'M... POPULAR?!" Nick shouted out looking very shocked. "I don't even go to school here and I'm popular?"

"Uhh yeah. Why do you think we were so stun to find out that you were **that** Nick?" Bobby asked Nick. "I mean, you kinda already made a name for yourself."

"Nick Wilde, the fox that stood up to Gideon Grey to protect local bunny, Judy." Sharla said.

"Nick Wilde, the fox that fight Gideon and help him change his ways." Travis said.

"Nick Wilde, the fox that change a whole family of settlers to become triers." Kyle said.

"Nick Wilde, proof that foxes can be good and trustworthy." Libby said. "That's why everyone what's to meet you at school."

Nick couldn't believe all the stuff he was hearing. He probably knew he was known, but he never knew he was popular. Let only THAT popular. Nick ran to Judy and then lifted her up from the ground.

"JUDY, HOW COME YOU NEVER TOLD ME THIS?!" Nick shouted at Judy.

"First off, put me down." Judy said to Nick not liking being lifted. Nick did what Judy's said and put her down. "Second, if I did told you this, you would get all braggy about it and gain an ego."

"What? Moi?" Nick said getting a sly smile. "Do you really think that hearing that I'm super popular in a town I don't live in, other kids wanting to meet me, and them hearing about some of the things I did that I... Nicholas Wilde... would..." At that moment, Nick started chuckling. "Yeah... I can't keep a straight face. I literally just like hearing everything I just heard. I mean, popular? Me? That's something anyone would like to hear."

"Be a bit more modest, why don't ya?" Judy said as bumps Nick lightly on the arm.

"Aww, let him brag a bit, Jude. If any fox deserves to... it's him." Gideon said patting Nick on the back.

"Thanks Gid. Good to know my fox buddy agrees with me." Nick said happily. Nick then picked all the ball again. "Now, how about some more catch?"

"Yeah." Everyone else said agreeing.

So for the next couple of minutes, all the kids continue to play some more. They also talked about other things. They talked about their interests, their life stories, made some jokes. They all seem to get along so well. After a while, it was time for some of them to leave and go home.

"Nick, it's been a blast getting to know you." Travis said shaking Nick's paw.

"Same here, Travis." Nick said happily.

"Now I think it's time we all get going." Sharla said.

"Yeah. We have to go back to my parents' booth at the farmer's market." Judy said.

"Well then, I guess we'll see you later." Libby said.

"Just a second guys." Nick said halting before everyone left.

"Huh? What is it, Nick?" Kyle asked.

"I don't know if Judy told you this yet, but I formed a little pack called the Zoo-Burrow scouts." Nick said. "Judy and I are always looking for new members, prey or predator, from both Zootopia and Bunnyburrow annnnd... I think you all would make great members."

"You... formed your own pack and you want us to join it?" Kyle said.

"Uh huh." Nick said nodding. "I think that you guys would all make excellent members. That is... if you are willing to join. Gideon's already a member."

"Sounds awesome. I'm in." Kyle said happily raising his paw up.

"I'm in too." Bobby said happily raising his paw as well.

"Me too." Sharla said joyfully.

"I think it's clear to say that we're all in." Gareth said.

"So... it's okay if I join too?" Travis asked looking a bit nervous.

"Of course. No matter what you are, you can join." Nick said to Travis.

"Wow. Thanks." Travis said happily.

"No problem." Nick said with a smile.

"We welcome all of you with open arms." Judy said happily.

"Gideon will fill you in with what we do later. But for now, I think it's all time we get going." Nick said to everyone.

"Right. Once again, nice meeting you, Nick." Kyle said.

"Same from me." Bobby said patting Nick on the back.

"Take care... Judy's boyfriend." Libby said grinning.

"For the absolute last time... **WITH A SPACE IN THE MIDDLE!** " Nick and Judy both shouted out looking red-faced.

All the other kids broke down in laughter at Nick and Judy. To them, it was always funny to see them react. The teasing aside, they were all good friends to have. Each of them waved goodbye and were on their ways. Except for Gideon, who was stopped by Nick.

"Gid, got a minute?" Nick asked.

"Sure City Boy." Gideon said walking back to Nick.

Nick then went over to Judy to tell her something. "Carrots, do you mind if I talk to my "twin" alone for a bit?"

"What do you two need to talk about?" Judy asked Nick looking curious.

"You know, guy stuff." Nick said.

"Fox stuff." Gideon said.

"Guy fox stuff." Nick and Gideon said.

"Alright. I'll leave you two to it." Judy said before walking far enough to give the two foxes some privacy.

So now Nick and Gideon could with just the two of them. To both of them, this felt similar to the last time the two talked.

"Seems like you're doing good with everyone now, Country Boy." Nick said with a smirk.

"Yeah. The kids I use to bully have forgiving me and are now my friends." Gideon said with a proud look on his face.

"That's good to hear. I was a bit worried for you." Nick admitted.

"To be honest, I was too. I wasn't sure that everyone would forgiven me. Especially Sharla, since I stole her tickets. But they all were kind enough not to hold a grudge. I'm really grateful for that." Gideon said.

"Well... from what I can tell, Sharla is a really nice girl that doesn't seem like she stays mad at people." Nick said. "She was even nice enough to let me touch her wool."

For some reason, hearing that made Gideon look a bit stunned.

"You... you... touched her wool?" Gideon said quivering a bit.

"Only cause I was curious on how sheep wool felt. No big deal. I let her touch my tail to even things out." Nick said.

"She... touched your tail?" Gideon said looking more stunned.

"Uhhh... why do you care so much?" Nick asked raising one of his eyebrows.

"I.. I don't. I don't care. Not one bit." Gideon said a bit frantic.

"Hmmmm..." Nick said scratching his chin. Nick was smart. Smart enough to know something was up with Gideon. Why was he so concern about Nick touching Sharla's wool or Sharla touching Nick's tail. The main connection... was Sharla. After putting the pieces together, Nick eyes widen. "*gaaaasp* NO!"

"HEY! HEY! Whatever you're thinking, stop now." Gideon said not wanting Nick to figure it out.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Nick said explicitly.

"Stop! Please stop." Gideon said starting to blush a bit.

"Sharla? You like Sharla?" Nick shouted out quietly.

Gideon admittedly closed Nick's muzzle, so he wouldn't say anything else. But judging by the embarrassed look on Gideon's face, Nick was right.

"Look, shut up. Just... shut up." Gideon said blushing and wanting Nick to stop.

Gideon let go of Nick's muzzle to see that Nick was doing another one of his wide and sly smirks.

"Oh my gosh. I've been waiting so long for this day." Nick said smirking. "After being teased by others for so long, I finally get to do the teasing."

"Don't... you... dare." Gideon said gritting his teeth.

"Uhhh... but I want to soooo bad. After all, you and the others had soooo much fun teasing me and Judy." Nick said messing with Gideon.

"Listen City Boy, you want to me talk, I'll talk." Gideon said.

"Alright. I'll listen." Nick said still smirking.

"Okay. My feelings for Sharla... our like your feelings for Judy. Completely unsure." Gideon said. "All I know is that Sharla's a really nice girl and I like being with her."

"Does... she know about this?" Nick asked.

"Of course not. I mean, I use to bully her. Letting her know that I might "like her" just seems too... difficult." Gideon said twittering his fingers. "What about you and Judy?"

"Don't even go there." Nick said crossing his arm.

"I haven't talked to anyone about this. So you better not." Gideon said firmly to Nick.

"You keep my secret, I'll keep yours. Deal?" Nick asked putting his paw in front.

"Deal." Gideon said shaking Nick's paw.

The two then did a fancy pawshake. Up high, down low, turn around, and bumped fists.

"Alright. Be sure to keep your word and not tell anyone about this." Gideon said.

"Sure. I'll just bank my teasing for later." Nick said smirking. Gideon didn't seem to happy about that. But he got over it as long as he didn't say anything to the others. "Well... see ya, Gideon."

"See ya." Gideon said to Nick.

So Gideon went on his way and wave goodbye to Judy as he did. Since it seem that Nick and Gideon were done, Judy walked back to Nick.

"So... you're done with your **"guy fox talk"**?" Judy said with air quotes.

"Uh huh." Nick said nodding.

"What do you even talk to Gideon about?" Judy asked still a bit curious.

"Now now, Carrots. Don't concern your little bunny head with boy matters." Nick said as he lean down and petting her head. "Focus on your own." Nick then stood back up. "Now... should we get back?"

"Actually... before going back, how about we get some ice cream? I know a place where we can get some in **our** portion size." Judy said.

"Huh. I can go for some." Nick said in the mode for ice cream. "Okay. Lead the way."

Wanting to have some ice cream, Judy took Nick into the town's ice cream parlor. The ice cream parlor went by the name of "Rocky's Ice Cream and Shakes". It was a small ice cream joint owned by a beaver. It may have been small, but it had up to 30 different flavors. Looking at the display of ice cream put Nick in awe and amaze.

"Aw man! So many good looking flavors. How does someone choose between all of them?" Nick said as he looked through the glass displaying the ice cream flavors.

"By trying a different flavor everyday for one month." Judy answered. "Then doing it again cause they couldn't decide with was the best."

"Fair logic." Nick said to Judy.

The beaver cashier, Rocky, was ready to take Nick and Judy's orders.

"Welcome to Rocky's Ice Cream and Shakes. Today we have a special deal. Get two scoops and you get the third one free." Rocky said to the two kids.

"Sweet!" Nick said excited. "Now to decide what to get."

"You can go first." Judy said to Nick.

"Okay." Nick said. He looked at all the ice cream and picked out his three flavors. "Okay, I'll have from bottom-to-top... Rocky's Rocky Road, Strawberry Stravaganza, and ooohh... Blueberry Blizzard."

"Blueberry. Of course." Judy said as she rolled her eyes. She then focused on her order. "Then I'll have... French Vanilla Valley, Mint Chocolate Mountain, and Creamy Carrot Delight."

"Carrot. Of course." Nick said as he rolled his eyes similar to how Judy did.

"Okay. Coming right up." Rocky said fixing the kids ice cream. "So... who's paying?"

"I got it." Nick and Judy said together as they dug into their pockets. They were both surprised to hear each other say that.

"Judy, it's cool. I got you." Nick said to Judy wanting to pay.

"You paid last time. I'll pay this time." Judy said to Nick wanting to pay.

"I got money now, so I can pay for you." Nick said.

"You did so much for me already. I'll pay." Judy said.

"No. I'll pay." Nick said firmly.

"No. I'll pay." Judy said as firm as Nick.

"Uhh... is someone gonna pay?" Rocky asked looking concern.

"Alright. You can pay for my cone." Nick said to Judy.

"Thank you." Judy said happily as she gets the cash out.

"But I get pay for yours." Nick said smirking as he gets his cash out.

"Ahh... fine." Judy said accepting that. "Sly fox."

"Yep." Nick said still smirking.

After buying their cones of ice cream, Nick and Judy walked happily enjoying their ice cream.

"Mmmm... this is sooooo good." Nick said joyfully licking his ice cream. "You can tell the work it took to make this. So much better than some of the ice cream you can get at the city."

"Really? You think so?" Judy asked before licking her ice cream some more.

"Of course. It's so yummy. Kinda wishing I had an extra scoop." Nick said happily.

"Well I'm glad you like it." Judy said with a smile. "Just be sure to eat it before it melts."

Nick and Judy walk together down the roads of town more. As they eat their ice cream, Judy walked to talk to Nick about something.

"Say Nick?" Judy said.

"Let me guess, we're gonna have another one of our deep talks." Nick said.

"That obvious, huh?" Judy replied.

"Alright. Let's find some place to sit ." Nick said to Judy.

The two found a bench near the street corners and sat on it for a bit, still having their ice cream.

"Okay, so what do you want to talk about, Carrots?" Nick asked.

"We... made each others lives better now, did we?" Judy asked Nick.

"I'd like to think that. I think the two of us are lucky to have met each other." Nick said.

"Do... you ever wonder... what would happen if we never met?" Judy asked. "You know, if you never came to Bunnyburrow when you did."

"Well... if I had to guess... your life would probably stay the same. Cept you and your family would still be afraid of foxes. As for me, I would be just become that everyone would think I was. And if that happen, there would have been **no** way we would be friends." Nick stated.

"You sound pretty sure that would be the case." Judy said.

"Aren't you? Remember... anti-fox equipment?" Nick asked recalling the anti-fox stuff Stu bought that was taking away from John.

"Okay. Guess you are right about that." Judy said while licking some more of her ice cream. "But other than that, I'm sure we could still be friends."

"No way. The two of us go at each other quite a bit. If we were to meet each other as adults, we would NEVER get along." Nick said.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. I sure that after getting to know each other, we would understand each other and learn how to get along just the same as we do now. Beside, I you know you know, Nick. Even if you acted like a sneaky fox on the outside, you would still be the kind and trustworthy fox that's my friend on the inside." Judy said to Nick with a smile.

"Ha. Guess you're right about that." Nick admitting Judy was right. "Can't really change who you really are on the inside, right?"

"Right." Judy said before having some more of her ice cream.

"Say Carrots, do you mind if I ask you a question now?" Nick asked.

"What is it?" Judy asked.

"Do you... ever wonder what would happen if we were in each other's position?" Nick asked.

"Nick, if this is about switching places... I already told you that I'm willing to." Judy said humorously.

"Hahaha! No no. I don't mean like that." Nick said stopping his laughter. "I mean... how would you imagine it if I was the one with the big family in the country and you were the one living in the big city."

"You... want to be the one living in a town full of bunnies like Bunnyburrow?" Judy asked with a bit of a sly look on her face.

"Well maybe not **Bunnyburrow**. Maybe a fox version of Bunnyburrow. A Foxburrow... or something like that." Nick said.

"Is there even a place like that?" Judy asked.

"The world's big, so who really knows?" Nick said. "Anyway what I mean is... if I was in your position, I wouldn't having a big family or the easy life here in the Burrows."

"Seriously? Do you not remember what I told you before? Long lines in the bathroom? Running to the dining hall every meal? Hand-me-downs? ONE birthday present per year?" Judy said sounding that she didn't enjoy any of those.

"Well I know you have some downsides to it all, but there are plenty of good sides." Nick said. "You have big brothers and sisters to look out for you. Little brothers and sisters that look up to you. A big family that will always be there for you. Sure, Bunnyburrow isn't as exciting as Zootopia. But that doesn't mean that this place isn't amazing. Everything here is good and simple... and that's not a bad thing. It may not seem that way... but think about this. If you become a police officer... I mean **when** you become a police, you gonna move out to Zootopia. That would mean leaving your hometown and all your family here."

Judy then started to feel a bit sad when she realized that.

"It may seem like the small things bother you, but you might end up missing those things when you leave. You know what they say. You never know what you're missing until it's gone." Nick said sincerely as he licks more of his ice cream.

"'You got a point, Nick. But I know... even if that may be, I'm not truly alone." Judy said.

"Huh?" Nick said confused on what she meant.

"As long as I keep my family and friends in my heart, I'm never truly alone. Besides... I know I'll still have you, won't I?" Judy said happily looking at Nick.

"Uhh... yeah. Yeah will you." Nick said blushing a bit.

"Nick, promise me that we'll always be friends." Judy said.

"Promise. Best Friends Forever. You and I." Nick said happily.

"Thanks Nick. The two of us seem to make each others lives better." Judy said with a smile.

"Yeah. But I feel that my life is better because of you. A bit more than yours." Nick said.

"That's nice of you to think, but my life is definitely better because of you." Judy said.

"What? You're life would have been fine. My life's waaaay better." Nick stated firmly.

"Uhh... no. Mine is." Judy stated just as firmly as Nick.

"No mine." Nick said looking serious.

"No mine." Judy said looking just as serious.

"Mine." Nick said staring down at Judy.

"Mine."Nick said staring down at Nick.

Oh dear. It looks like Nick and Judy were having a fight on who's life was better because of the others. Only friends like Nick and Judy would have an arguement like this.

"You helped me make friends." Nick said.

"You let my family visit Zootopia." Judy said.

"You help me stayed myself." Nick said.

"You turned my family of settlers into triers." Judy said. "So I'm telling you, my lives better because of you."

"Think what you want dumb bunny, but I know I'm right." Nick said firmly.

"Hmpt! I'm not a dumb bunny." Judy said a bit peeved. She then quickly took her anger at rapidly licking her ice cream. But... she may have ate her ice cream too quick. And you know what happens when you eat ice cream too fast. Judy could already feel that chilling feeling on her brain. "AHHH! AHHH!"

"Brain freeze, eh? Haha! Bet ya feel like a dumb bunny now." Nick said teasing Judy. He then took a big chomp at his ice cream. Bad idea. He too started to feel that chilling feeling on his brain. But Nick tried to play it cool and pretend that it was nothing. He wasn't fooling Judy, however.

"Haha! Looks like you got it too, dumb fox." Judy said smirking.

"No no. I... actually like the feeling." Nick said lying and trying to look fine. "Especially when it... goes all the way to your spine."

"Mmm hmm!" Judy said being too smart too believe.

Whether it's Judy's life or Nick's life, it was no doubt in their hearts that Nick and Judy's lives were better now that they had each other. Arguments and all.

 **That's all for another chapter. This was funny chapter, was it? More things to come for Nick and Judy soon. Til next time.**


	21. Chapter 19: A Tale of Two Dads

**Chapter 19. Oh my god. I can't believe I'm 19 chapters in on this story now. It's because of all the readers and fans I've been getting. Anyway, this is a special chapter. I call it "A tale of two dads". Yes, this is gonna be a chapter about Stu and John. It's also gonna be in Bunnyburrow again. I'm doing a chapter like this because I really wanted to do something with the two dads. They find out that both of them are different in their own way, yet do their best to be good father figures. So this should be good. One more thing. This story now has over 250 faves, 300 followers, and 75,000 views. Wow. Just... wow. Thank you all so much for all the love. You guys are the reason I keep this story going. Sorry if the delay was a bit much for some of you to bare. I'll try to make the next chapter come sooner. Now, starting chapter now.**

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It was another great weekend at Bunnyburrow and another great visit for the Hopps from the Wildes. Whether it was Bunnyburrow or Zootopia, both family were enjoying their times together and really becoming good friends. Today, in the kitchen, John was teaching Nick, Judy, and 30 or so of the Hopps kids how to make pizza. Since there was always a lack of pizza in the household, most of them were super excited about this. John was currently showing how to kneed the dough.

"Now be sure to kneed the dough very properly, kids." John said as he kneed the dough.

"Like this, pop?" Nick asked his dad as he was trying to kneed the dough like he did.

"Excellent, Nicky." John said happily. "Now everyone, flatten the dough."

John then show the kids to kneed the dough into a flat dish shape. The kids all did the same. They were all doing a great job so far.

"Now it's time for the fun part." John said as he picks his dough up. "You lift the dough up." John then toss the dough in the air in a spinning rotation. "... toss the dough up high." As the dough went down and he caught it. "... and catch it. Then you keep tossing it up to make the dough soft and light. Keep doing this for a while, but be careful not to drop the dough."

The kids all nodded and toss the dough up like John did. They tossed theirs a bit lesser and more careful than John was. Except for Judy. She tried to do her best to do it similar to John tossing the dough up high.

"How's this, Mr. Wilde?" Judy asked as the throws the dough up high.

"Nicely done, Judy." John said happily to Judy. John then stopped tossing the dough and laid in down on a pizza pan. "Alright, I think that's enough. Now... we it's time to add the sauce."

John brought out a big pot full of red tomato sauce and a ladle.

"This sauce is my special recipe... with some of the tomatoes from your farm." John said as he gets the ladle of sauce out of the pot.

Nick looked into the pot of sauce and it looked really tasty to him.

"Pop, can I have a quick taste?" Nick asked his dad.

" **One** taste. But get a spoon." John said not wanting him to stick his paw in the pot.

"Okay." Nick said happily as he goes to the kitchen counter and picks up a spoon. He then goes back to the pot and gets a spoonful of the tomato sauce. He gets a taste of the sauce that his dad made.

"How's the sauce, champ?" John asked Nick.

"Mmmmmm. It's good." Nick said loving the taste. "This might be your best yet, pop."

"That's what I was going for." John said proudly. "Now for the pizza. Start by placing the ladle in the center and start pouring the sauce. Then spoon the sauce around the entire pizza. But not the edges." John said to the kids as he pours the sauce on the pizza. "Unless you want to do it that way. Some mammals do it that way, but this way gives you a crust." John finish pouring the sauce on the pizza he made. "Now it's your turn, kids."

Nick then took the ladle and started adding the sauce to the pizza he was making. While John and the kids were making pizza, Bonnie and Frankie happen to be watching them from the sides of the kitchen door.

"Well this is a first. The kids making food for themselves and me not having to do any of the work." Bonnie said to Frankie.

"You sound a little upset." Frankie stated.

"Oh no. I actually enjoy not having to cook for once." Bonnie said happily. "I tend to do a lot around this house."

"Even in your current state?" Frankie asked referring to Bonnie's pregnancy.

"I'm not gonna let a couple of bundles of joys stop me from doing my job as a mother." Bonnie said pridefully.

"Heehee. Bonnie, you are really something." Frankie said laughing a bit.

Seems that Frankie and Bonnie have been getting along quite well over the past months. It's mainly because they had a lot in common with each other. Even with them being a fox and a bunny. John and Stu however, the two of them are as different as different can be. They got along just fine, but they had different views on life. As Frankie and Bonnie went off, Stu was the next person to come near the kitchen. He sees that his kids are fixing pizzas with John's instructions. They were all currently spreading the shredded cheese on the pizzas.

"So now that we added the cheese, it's now time for the best part. The toppings." John said in an excited matter. "Choose whatever toppings we have on hand for your pizzas."

A few of the kids brought to a table a variety of toppings that they could use for the pizzas. These included carrots slices, mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, spinach, some sliced tomatoes, and some other stuff.

"What do you like on your pizza, Nick?" Judy asked looking curious.

"Pop and I like to have mushrooms on our pizza." Nick said to Judy.

"Guess you can say we are _fun guys_ for _fungi_." John said making a joke.

"Hahaha!" Nick laughed.

"Uggghhh..." All the other kids went. They didn't find the joke too good.

"Oh come on. That was funny." Nick said.

"Now now Nicky. Not everyone can have a good taste in humor like the two of us." John said as he and the others spread their toppings on their pizzas.

Stu then walked into the kitchen.

"Hey everyone." Stu said announcing himself into the room.

"Hey dad." Judy said.

"Hey there, Stu." John said greeting him.

"What's going on here?" Stu asked curiously.

"Mr. Wilde is showing us how to make our own pizza." Greg said happily. "He's a really good teacher."

"Nah. I'm just teaching you kids what I know." John said not trying to boast. "Alright. I think we are ready to put these pizza in the ovens." John noticed that they made at least 30 or so pizzas, which is a big number. "A lot of pizzas here." John then look at the 8 ovens that the Hopps had in their kitchen. "It's a good thing you have more than one oven."

Most houses only have one oven. But when you have a big family like the Hopps, you need more than one oven to cook enough food for everyone in a short time.

"Can I help out?" Stu asked. "I could make a few more."

"I think we have enough pizza, Stu." John stated.

"Now Johnny, I think I know my own kids. So I know that most of them have a pretty big appetite." Stu said with a smirk. He then walked over to the table and picked up one of the leftover pizza dough. "Besides, this doesn't seem too hard. Just flatten the dough and tossing it up, right?"

"Uhh... yeah, but..." John said.

"I can handle that." Stu said confidently as he started kneeding the pizza dough flat. "Now I just toss it up in the air... like this?" Stu then throw the door high in the air. A little too high. John noticed.

"Uhh... Stu? That's a little too..." John said trying to warn Stu not to throw it so it. But he was a bit late. The dough fell right on top of Stu's head. "... high."

Nick, Judy, and the others children bursted in laughter at the sight of Stu's head being covered with pizza dough. Stu felt a bit embarrassed.

"Ah... ha ha. Might not have been ready for that." Stu said lifting the dough from his eyes.

" Like I said, I... think we have enough pizza." John stated to Stu.

"Agreed." Stu admitted.

After a couple of minutes of being in the ovens, the pizzas were done and everyone was enjoying them for lunch. The cheese on the pizzas melted out perfectly and also gave a cheesy pull as you take a bite into it. A good sign to a good sign. As well as the nice and crispy crust. Nick has had a few of his dad's pizzas and he's helped him make it before. So he knows how good his dad's pizzas are. But this was the first time everyone else, included Judy, has had it.

"Mmmmm." Judy said happily as he chewed on her slice of pizza. "The sauce that your dad made is so incredible."

"Yep! That's pop for ya. He has great pizza skills." Nick said before taking a big bite from his pizza. "Course, he's just as good at teaching them."

"Yeah. I never thought **making** pizza would be so easy." Judy said to Nick.

The kids were not the only ones enjoying the pizza. The parents were also loving the pizza.

"So Stewie, how's your slice?" John asked Stu.

"It's okay." Stu said not sounding too impressed. But in his head, he was thinking something else. "Sweet cheese and crackers! This has to be the best pizza I ever had. It's like John is good at everything. How do I even compete with someone like him?" Stu thought.

As Stu thought that, two of the kids were fighting over an extra slice of pizza they had. They were each pulling the plate holding the pizza.

"Back off. It's mine!" A brown boy bunny said angrily.

"No way! Jessie didn't want her slice and I asked for it first." A lighter brown boy bunny said angrily.

"Oh dear. Not again." Bonnie said as she shook her head.

"Again? So this happens a lot?" Frankie asked.

"Sometimes it's food, sometimes it's a toy. Either way it's very common in this house." Bonnie stated.

"Should we do something?" John asked them.

"I'll handle it." Stu said finishing his pizza.

Stu then walked over to the two kids as they were still fighting over that pizza.

"Kids, remember our rule in this house. When we have a problem... we compromise." Stu said to the two little bunnies. Stu goes to the kitchen and gets a small knife. He then cuts the pizza down the middle, making it two different halves. "There. Now you each have your own."

"Thanks dad." The two boy bunnies said happily as they each get their half of a slice.

Stu was able to handle the problem pretty quickly. It really surprised John a bit.

"Wow. Stu was able to handle that so quickly. I remember how my brother and I use to went at it and our dad couldn't stop us for a whole hour." John thought. "The fact that someone like Stu was able to end things so soon, it's impressing."

John usually thought Stu was the kind of dad that let his kids just fight it out til they came with a solution, instead of fixing the problem himself. John though he knew Stu pretty well, but it seem like he still needed to know more about him.

A while later, Nick changed into his scout uniform and Judy changed into her police officer uniform. They were getting ready to have their Zoo-Burrows Scouts meeting with their Bunnyburrow friends. Nick finished tying his handkerchief and then put his cap on. Judy put her police cap on too.

"Ready Carrots?" Nick asked Judy.

"You know I am." Judy said happily.

Nick and Judy then walked to the living room where the parents were. They were a bit curious why they were wearing their uniforms.

"Nicky, Judy, how come you are in those outfits?" John asked.

"Didn't we told you? We have some of the kids here in Bunnyburrow to join our pack. So we are having a meeting with them today." Nick said to his dad.

"This will be our first ZB meeting with them and we are all getting together at the old barn in town." Judy said.

"Oh. I was gonna ask if you two wanted to play a few innings of baseball. A few of Judy's brothers and sisters wanted to play." John said throwing a baseball up in the air a bit.

"As fun as that sounds, let's save it for next time." Nick said.

"Okay then." John said.

"Cole and Conner should already be there. So we should catch up." Judy said.

"Right." Nick said nodded. He then looked at his parents. "See ya, mom and pop. Mr. and Mrs. Hopps."

"Yeah. See ya." Judy said.

After saying goodbye to their parents, Nick and Judy left the house to meet up with their friends. Both pairs of parents were happy that their kids were getting along and making more friends with others.

"Ever since Nick started his own little pack, he's been making so many new friends. I'm so happy for him." Frankie said happily.

"Yeah. I'm a little down that he has been speading less time with his old man, but I'm still glad for our boy." John said.

"Johnny, if it bothers you that much, then maybe it's time that we start to consider..." Frankie said.

Before Frankie could finish what she wanted to say, John halted her and said something else.

"Say Stewie, how bout calling some of those kids of yours so we can play some ball?" John said frantically as he began making his way out the room.

"Uhh... sure." Stu said walking with John.

"He's avoiding the subject... again." Frankie thought a bit mad at John.

Bonnie looked at Frankie and how she looked a bit down in the dumps.

"Frankie, is something the matter?" Bonnie asked.

"No. Everything's fine." Frankie told her.

"You sure? Cause it sounded like you wanted to ask Johnathan something." Bonnie said.

"Let's just say when a certain subject comes up, Johnny tries to avoid the subject." Frankie said. She then started to smirk. "But it's fine. He can't avoid it forever."

Whatever the "subject" was, Frankie really seem determine to talk to John about it. But that was for another day. Later outside, a few of the Hopps kids made a baseball field to play their game of baseball on. John, Stu, Bonnie and Frankie watched as the kids played. The kid who's was pitching was Mikey. While a little 7 year old dark grey boy bunny was at bat. He wore a black shirt with blue jeans. Paulie was being the umpire.

"So... ready for the heat, Rudy?" Mikey asked confident.

"Uhh... not really." Rudy said nervously. It seem that he didn't really want to play or was a bit scared.

"Well you better get ready." Mikey said while he was getting into a pitcher's position.

"Eek!" Rudy said nervously holding the bat and shaking quite a lot.

"The poor kid's looks really scared." John said watching him at bat.

Mikey then starts the windup and then pitched a fastball. Rudy swung the bat too soon and it miss the ball.

"Stiiiiiirike one!" Paulie shouted out.

Rudy was upset he missed. He got into batting position again, but still looked scared. Mikey started winding up another pitch. This time a slow ball. Once again, Rudy swung the bat too soon again and missed.

"Stiiiiiirike two!" Paulie shouted out.

One more strike and Rudy would be out. He was really upset that he hasn't be able to hit it like before. Stu try his to cheer up his son.

"Son, it doesn't matter if you don't hit it." Stu shouted out. "Even if you miss, it's still okay."

While what Stu said was true, John didn't think that. He really wanted to help the little guy out.

"Time-out! Time-out!" John shouted out while making the time-out gesture with his paws and walking onto the field.

All the kids stopped when John called time-out. John went over to the batting plate and to Rudy. He then lean down a bit to talk directly to Rudy.

"Hey there, little guy." John said happily greeting Rudy. "Do you need some pointers?"

"Uhh... yes Mr. Wilde." Rudy said.

"First off, are you leftpawed or rightpawed?" John asked.

"Leftpawed sir." Rudy answered.

"Ha. Well no wonder. You're on the wrong side." John stated.

Rudy was standing on the left side of the plate. If you use your right paw, then you would stand on the left side. But if you use your left paw, then you would stand on the right side. John then moved Rudy to the other side the plate and helped him with his batter stance.

"Knees bend, keep your position, hold the bat upword." John said to Rudy.

"Like this?" Rudy asked doing what John told him.

"Perfect." John said giving Rudy a thumbs up. "Now ask for your swinging... you don't swing the bat cause you see the ball coming. You swing the bat **when you think** the ball is gonna be near you. Also, be sure to put a lot of power into the hit. Got it?"

"Got it." Rudy said nodding.

"Like your dad said, it's okay if you miss. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it your all." John patting Rudy on his shoulder.

"Okay, Mr. Wilde." Rudy said sounding more confident.

John then stepped a few feet back, but still stayed near the batting plate.

"Alright. Time-in." John shouted out.

The kids then continue their game of baseball.

"So... you ready for this one, little bro?" Mikey said throwing the ball up a bit.

"Yeah. I'm ready." Rudy said confidently and firmly held his bat.

Mikey started the windup again and pitch another fastball. Rudy remembered John's advice and swung the bat when the ball was near him. With some lucky, Rudy was able to hit the ball and sent it flying really high. Which surprised everyone quite a bit. Except for John.

"Sweet... cheese and crackers. That's a hit." Stu said still a bit surprised.

"Rudy, run!" John shouted out.

"Run! Run, sweetie!" Bonnie shouted to Rudy.

Rudy quickly dropped the bat and started running the bases. The other Hopps kids on the field were not expecting the hit, so there were kinda scrambling when they tried to get the ball. By the time one of them got it, Rudy has pass second base and was going for third base. As Rudy made it to third base and dashed to homeplate, one of the Hopps boys grabbed the baseball and tossed it to the bunny holding up third base. He then pitched the ball quickly to the sibling guarding homeplate. Rudy had to dash quickly and slide for the plate, causing a huge dirt cloud. No one could tell if Rudy was safe or now. As the dirt cloud started to clear, they see that Rudy's foot is on the plate.

"SAAAAFE!" Paulie shouted out.

Little Rudy was able to make a homerun. Everyone was cheering.

"Woooo!"

"Alright, Rudy!"

"Way to go, Rudy."

"I... I did it." Rudy said happily as he gets up.

"See? I knew you could do it." John said as he walked over to Rudy.

Rudy then hugged John's for encouraging him. But since he was much smaller than the fox, he was only able to hug his leg.

"Thank you, Mr. Wilde. You're the best." Rudy said happily.

John was surprised to for two reasons. One, someone beside Nick calling him the best. And two, expecting a hug. But John lean down and hugged the little bunny back.

"Awwww! It's no problem." John said happily.

While this was happening, Stu was noticing this and couldn't help but feel a bit depressed But how would you feel if one of your kids started thinking that someone else was better than you?

"*sigh* Chalk up another point to John." Stu thought.

After their game of baseball was over, it was time to get to doing some farm work. John was walking around the fields a bit and noticed someone near a green tractor. It was one of the older Hopps kids, Gerald. It lookd like he was trying to start up the tractor, but all he was getting was a steam.

"Come on! Work you are ol' piece of junk." Gerald shouted out at the tractor looking frustrated.

"What's wrong?" John asked Gereld.

"Oh! Hey Mr. Wilde." Gerald said greeting John. "It's our tractor. She's acting up... again."

"Your... parents are okay with you using it?" John asked.

"Of course. I'm not a little kid like most of my other little brothers." Gerald stated. "Anyway, you're good at things. Think you can see what's up with the ol' girl?"

"Me? Uhhh..." John said not sounding sure he wants to. Now John was good at fixing suits, but fixing tractors wasn't in his resume. Yet, he didn't want to leave Gerald hanging. "Alright. I'll see what I can do."

John decided to check inside the hood of the tractor. The engine was blowing out a lot of steam.

"Jeez! It's like a sauna." John said as fan away some of the steam with his paws. Once it was clear, he could be able to see the engine and other parts. "Now... let's see what's up?" John looked at the parts of the engine and responded by saying "Uh huh." and "Mmm hmm." a few times. While it seem like he knew what was up, in reality... "Yeah... I have NO idea what I'm looking for. What am I even suppose to do?" John thought looking worried.

"You boys need a paw?" Someone from behind them went.

John and Gerald looked to see who it was. It was Stu with a toolbelt around his waist.

"I saw happen to be walking by and saw the smoke. The ol' girl acting up again?" Stu asked.

"Yeah, dad." Gerald said. "It's like the third time this week. I think it's time for a new one."

"Now now. I'm sure I can get her to work again." Stu said confidently. "Johnny, mind if I take a look?"

"Not at all." John said stepping back a bit.

Stu took out a wretch from his toolbelt as he walked to the tractor. He looked at the engine and he saw the problem.

"I see the problem. A few of the bolts are loose." Stu stated. "Let's fix that."

Stu used the wretch and turned each of the screws that were loose tighter.

"There. Oh... I should also check the hydraulics as well." Stu said.

Stu checked around the other parts around the tractor to make sure everything was good. To Stu, everything looked fine.

"Okay. Try now." Stu said to Gerald to try starting the tractor again.

Gerald turn the tractor on and this time, it was actually working.

"Nice. She's sounding better now." Gerald said happily. "Thanks, dad. You too, Mr. Wilde."

"Uhh... sure." John said. "Even if I haven't even done anything." John muttered.

Gerald then drove off to the fields and back back to farmwork. So now it was just Stu and John. John didn't say it, but he was still amazed at Stu being able to fix the tractor. But not only that, but was able to handle things with his kids pretty well.

"Seems like you knew exactly what to do." John stated to Stu.

"Well... this wasn't the first time I had to fix that tractor. Or the second time. Or the three time." Stu said with a smile. "It's really no big deal."

"You did better than I could. Suits, I can fix. Tractors, not so much." John said.

"Haha! Anyway, I should get back to work. Still got a lot to do today." Stu said.

"Right. Guess I'll go see if any of the other kids need my help around here." John said scratching the back of his head. "You know, in case they need it."

"Right. Right." Stu said as he scratch the back of his head.

The two then sat awkwardly stand and stared at each other for a few seconds before walking away and saying "See ya!" to each other. While the two didn't, they didn't want to say how they felt about each other as a father figure. So instead, after all the farmwork was done, they went to their wives to talk about it. Stu was with Bonnie in their bedroom. Bonnie was doing some kniting on their bed while Stu and pacing left and right.

"He knows the right things to say to the kids, always confident, AND he knows how to make pizza. How do I compete with someone like that?" Stu said in a frazzled matter.

"It's not a competition, Stu." Bonnie said while she was kniting.

"Look, up until now, I thought I was doing a great job as a dad. But compare to John, who's a fox by the way, I... don't think I'm doing enough." Stu amitted to Bonnie.

"Stu, you're overthinking things. You do a great job with the kids." Bonnie said as she stops kniting and looked at Stu.

"Do I really?" Stu asked looking worried. "Cause compare to John..."

"Stop comparing yourself to Johnny." Bonnie said. "You're you and John's John."

"*sigh* I know." Stu said looking down on the ground.

"Honey, if you feel this way, then you should go talk to Johnathan about this." Bonnie suggested.

"I... don't know." Stu said sounding unsure.

"Come on. John's an understanding man. What do you have to lose?" Bonnie asked.

"The respect of all my kids and my family that told me to stay away from foxes in the first place." Stu answered.

"Steward Hopps, talk to Johnathan about this or you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight." Bonnie said sounding serious.

"Okay. Okay. I'm going." Stu said not wanting to make his wife any madder.

So Stu quickly left the room to find and talk to John. Meanwhile, in the guest bedroom where John and Frankie slept, John was having similar talk to Frankie about this. Frankie was just reading a book on the bed while John was pacing left to right, like Stu was.

"Not only is he able to handle keeping this house together with 276 kids, but he knows how to fix a tractor." John said to Frankie.

"Do you even want to know how to fix a tractor?" Frankie asked raising an eyebrow.

"I might. You don't know what I would like to learn." John stated firmly.

Frankie then closed her book and walked up to John.

"Johnny, do you think you're a bad dad?" Frankie asked John.

"What?! No! Absolutely not!" John said a bit frazzled. "I love our son and I would anything for him. It's just... it's just that... sometimes I think... having 'their' easy life would be 'easier' for us to have."

"That's funny coming from Mr. Work-Hard-At-Everything-You-Do." Frankie said.

"Frankie, you know me. I always believed in hardwork being it's own reward. But you know just as well as I do that it's doesn't always pay the bills." John said.

"Maybe... you should talk to Stu about this." Frankie suggested.

"Talk to Stu? About my feelings?" John said looking like he didn't like to hear that. "Hate to break it to you hun, but us men don't really like to 'talk' about our feelings with each other."

Frankie didn't look amused by John's response.

"Okay. Fine. You can just talk to me more about it. As well as a certain **other** subject that the two us us still need to discuss." Frankie said with a sly look on her face.

Not wanting to talk about what this "certain subject" was, John decided that he should listen to his wife.

"You know what? I think I will go to Stu and talk about my feelings." John said smiling awkwardly. "Thanks for the advice, sweetie."

John then quickly kissed Frankie on the cheek and ran off to find Stu. Frankie just smile slyly.

"I knew that would get him moving." Frankie said to herself. "Still, as hard as he tries, he can't avoid it forever."

So, it didn't take that long for Stu and John to run into each other. They happen to run into each other at the hallway on the first floor of the house.

"Stu!" John shouted trying to get Stu's attention.

"John!" Stu shouted to do the same like John.

"John, do you mind if we talk for.../Say Stu, you got a few minutes to..." Stu and John said as their words overlapped. They realized that and stopped.

"Well... seems that we both have some things to discuss." John said.

"Seems like we do." Stu said nodding.

"Den room?" John asked suggesting that they do their discussing there while pointing at the direction of the room.

"Den room." Stu said agreeeing with John.

So the two walked to the den room to have their conversation there. As they head into the room, John sat on one of the chairs near a table. Stu went to a cooler that was in the room to get them a drink.

"Is a beer okay with you?" Stu asked. "I mean, if you don't drink..."

"I'm known to have a beer or two every once in a while. Just not too often. Have anything that **isn't** carrot flavored?" John said.

"I think I have one that you might like." Stu said as he grabbed two bottles. He closes the cooler and hands one of the bottles to John. "Here."

John looks at the bottle and sees that label says it's blueberry flavored.

"Blueberry flavored beer? That sounds like something I would enjoy." John said happily as he twist the top of the bottle. Stu did the same.

"Cheers!" John and Stu said as they join their bottles together before taking sips of them.

John and Stu took light chugs of their beers. John seemed like he loved the taste of the beer.

"Not bad. Not bad." John said with a smile.

"Glad you like it. Believe it or not, not everyone in my family are farmers." Stu said. "Some of my brothers decided to be brewers."

"They make their own beer?" John asked with his eye widen.

"Some whiskey and moonshine too." Stu said.

"Bunnies after my own heart." John said slyly.

"Welllll... they thought if we were gonna be bunnies in the country, might as well have good drinks to go with it." Stu said.

"Hmm. By the way, since you mention your family, did you happen to tell other members of your family that you are friends with foxes yet?" John asked before sipping his beer.

Stu responded by spitting out his drink.

"Judging by **that** , I'm assuming no." John said putting his bottle down.

"I'm... sorry." Stu said as he puts his bottle down. "It's not something that comes up very often. I can't just go and tell my brothers, sisters, cousins, and parents that we just started being friends with foxes. I mean, my father told me "All foxes are red cause they are made by the devil." and I use to believe it too."

"Okay. Three things: One, most foxes aren't even red. Many have black, grey and white fur. Two, for the ones that do have red furs, it's actually more of an orange or amber color. Three, it really sounds like your old man didn't know much about foxes." John said.

"Yeah... I realized that some of things he said about your kind is a bit... negative." Stu admitted.

"Believe it or not, my own dad feels the same about rabbits." John said to Stu.

"What? Really?" Stu said surprised to here that.

"It's true. My dad told me that all bunnies are overtimid, take the easy way out, and insecure." John said.

"Johnny, I'm all of those things." Stu admitted since that's the actual case with Stu.

"Not anymore." John said.

"Nope. Still all of those things." Stu said firmly.

"Yeeaaahh... but at least you are more easygoing." John said shrugging. "Look at you now. You're in a room with a fox and you're not shrieking in terror. That's something."

"That's true. The old me would have reached for the fox taser by now." Stu said.

John responded by growling in anger a bit. He still wasn't too keen about Stu having a taser in the first place.

"Sorry. Sorry. Don't be angry with me, please?" Stu begged.

"It's fine. It's fine." John said already over it. He then picked up his beer. "Anyway, I think we are getting off topic of what we really wanted to talk about."

"Right. Might if I speak first?" Stu asked.

"Sure." John said before taking another sip of his beer.

"I... don't know how I should say this..." Stu said as he takes of his cap. "... so I'll just be forward with it. John... you are a great dad. No. Scratch that. You're a better dad than I am."

"Stu..." John said feeling that Stu didn't need to say that.

"Let me finish." Stu said wanting to continue. "I didn't think a mammal like you, let alone a fox, was even out there in the world. You're smart, you're honest, you know the right things to say to the kids, and you're fearless. But me... I..." Stu gripped onto his beer bottle tightly. "... I ducked out on everything before even giving it a good try, been scare of the smallest things for the dumbest reasons, and worst of all, I tried to pass it down to all 276 of my kids. Even if I know I'm not you, I still kinda wish I was."

"Wow. Wow. That's... surprising for me to hear you say that." John admitted. "Now... can I say I need to say?"

"Sure. What is it that you wanted to tell me?" Stu asked.

"Stu, I think you're a great dad too." John said.

Like John, Stu was a bit surprise to hear John say that.

"You may have played the safe game, but it still helped you support your family. You work hard and do everything you can for your kids. With 276 kids, that's saying a lot. I don't think I can do what you do." John said. He then continued. "As for being fearless, well... no ones really fearless. I have fears just like everybody else."

"What? Johnny, you're not scared of anything." Stu said not believing him.

"Nope. I'm scared of a lot of things. I'm scared of my future, I'm scared that of not doing enough for my son, and... well... there's one more thing I'm scared of. Something I **know** you're nowhere near scared of." John said.

"What's that?" Stu asked looking curious.

What was it that John was so afraid of that Stu wasn't? John took a quick chug of the rest of his beer before he answered that question.

"Recently... Frankie... has been considering more and more for us... to have another baby." John told him.

Stu's eye widen. He was no doubt stunned by this news. But also smiling a bit.

"That's... great news, John." Stu said happily.

"Issssss it?" John asked looking unsure about the whole thing. "Cause I'm don't think I'm ready for that yet. Frankie however, I pretty sure she's ready cause the shop is doing better AND the little ones you guys currently have."

"So... are you really sure that Francine wants you two to have another kid?" Stu asked.

John stared down at Stu with a serious look on his face. Stu was starting to get a little scared.

"Stu, for the past week, Frankie has been... _intimate_. You know that special 'mommy-daddy time' us parents have? We had that **5 days straight**. Thursday, we had to send Nicky to a friend's house to sleepover." John said firmly. "I haven't slept well in the last couples of days.

"... So what I'm hearing is that you got to spend _quality time_ with your wife for several days in a row." Stu said with a straight face. "Those sweet... sweet quality time. Must be nice. So... WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?!"

"Uhhh... are things okay with you and the miss's?" John asked since it seem that something was up.

"Johnathan, at this point with Bonnie's pregnancy, we're not really allow to have our special 'mommy-daddy' time." Stu stated. "Same for all her other pregnanices. Every... single... one."

"Oh. So... it's been a couple of months for you?" John asked.

"*sigh* Yes." Stu said with his head down.

"Aaaahh... I see. So what you are saying is **when it's your time at bat, you give your all**." John stated using a metaphor. "No wonder why he has so many kids?" John thought.

"Okay. Enough about **my** lovelife. How about you? Any possible chance that Frankie might be..." Stu said wondering if Francine was pregnant.

John responded by shaking his head no. "Convince her that we still needed time to think about things." John said.

"How come?" Stu asked.

"Unlike you bunnnies, other mammals put some more thought to it before having kids all _willy-nilly_." John said while frailing his arms a bit when he said willy-nilly. "Sure, there are a lot of plus sides. But something I should always take into factor what gender the kid may be. If I had another boy, that would be great. Nick would have a little brother to look after and I have a second kid to do father-son stuff with. Then if I had girl, that would be great too. Frankie would have the girl that she always wanted and she would by daddy's little girl for me. However, if I **did** had a girl, she gonna grow up to be beautiful like her mother. If that happen then... boys would be all over her. Which means..." John then started growling and his claws came out. "... I would have to hunt every boy that would try to make a move on her."

Stu lean back on his chair very frighten of John right now. John realized this and admittely retracked his claws then turned back to normal.

"I don't even have a daughter and I'm already turning becoming 'that' kind of dad." John said with his paw on his faces. "I turned into my father-in-law."

"You're father-in-law hates you?" Stu asked.

"Doesn't your father-in-law hate you after taking his daugther away from him?" John asked raising an eyebrow.

"*sigh* Yes. Yes he did." Stu admitted. "If it's wasn't for Bon's mother, my relationship with him would be really worst."

"God bless, mother-in-laws." John said chuckling a bit. "So... are you the same with any of your daughters?"

"Welllll... it's not like any of my daughter are even dating." Stu told John.

"*chuckling* Yeah, okay. Believe what you want." John said smirking. "What about Judy? How would you feel if Judy and Nick actually did started dating one day?"

"Uhhhh... well... I know Nick's a good boy. So I don't think I need to be that overprotective father like our in-laws were." Stu said.

"Really?" John said while raising his eyebrow. "So you wouldn't, let's say... call a few of your older boys to spy on the two of them?"

Oh Jeez! John knew about that? Stu ears drooped just as John mentions that.

"How... did you know about that?" Stu asked looking shaken.

"I didn't... until you just confirmed it." John said slyly. John didn't really know. He just made a high educated guess.

"Sorry... about that." Stu said sounding apologetic.

"It's fine." John said.

"We were still scared of foxes and everything." Stu said sounding more apologetic.

"It's fine." John said with his paw up. "Now, you get what I'm saying now, right? Having kids is the easy part, but raising them is the hard part."

"What do you mean? You did a great job with Nick, right?" Stu asked.

"Yeah... but if you remember, I said he hated me the first 3 months of his life. What if it's gonna be like for the next kid? And even if that's not the case, what can I do to make sure they have a good future?" John asked looking worried. "We're foxes. So even if I don't want it to happen, they will have to deal with some hardtimes because of what are. Will I be there enough for them? Help them when they need it? Doesn't that stuff scare you?

"That kind of stuff doesn't scare me..." Stu said before having a worried look on his face. "...at least... not until you mentioned it." Stu then took a huge chug of his beer.

"Oh jeez. Did I just open another door into Stu's world?" John thought.

As Stu finished chugging his beer, he realized that the bottle was empty.

"Oh look at that. Empty. I'll get us some more." Stu said frantically as he gets out of his chair.

"No no." John said as he halts Stu. "I think we had enough. Don't want to make any bad choices."

"Uggghhh... now I starting to wonder if I was there enough for any of my kids." Stu said with his paws on the sides of his head. "Most of the time, Bon's the one taking care of the kids while I do the farmwork. Oh cheese and crackers. I didn't even gave some of the boys 'the talk' yet."

"You what?!" John shouted. "Stewie, some of your boys are 15. How did you know have 'the talk' with them?"

Before he could answer that, Edgar, still wearing black and holding a book, was nearby the hallway and just happen to hear the conversation.

"We're good." Edgar simple said as he was reading his book.

"What?" John and Stu said surprised.

"You know, 'The Talk'. Most of us had it already." Edgar said as he close his book and looked at Stu and John.

"What? How? When?" Stu asked.

"School." Edgar answered.

"School? They teach that stuff in school these days?" Stu asked not sounding too happy about that.

"Only after the parents sign the permission slips." Edgar said.

"Permission slip?" Stu said trying to recall signing a few slips.

"Remember? It was the week after mom gave birth to a few of the younger ones and you were really tired from all the farmwork. So you pretty much just randomly signed each of them without looking at what they were about." Edgar stated.

"I did?" Stu asked looking confused and frazzled.

"Yeah." Edgar said nodding.

"Ohhhhhhh... I think I'm remembering now." Stu said finally recalling it.

"While we are at subject, I feel like I should say something for all of us kids." Edgar said. "Whether you **think** it's normal for bunnies to have to this many kids, it's not. Not at all. If there's one thing you need to **not** try, it's having more of us."

Edgar had a point. Who actually have 276 kids and STILL thinks that it's okay to have more of them.

"The kid's not wrong." John said agreeing with Edgar.

"Maybe this house is a bit... overcrowded." Stu admitted while scratching the back of his ears.

"I'm only asking that you at least ease up a bit. You know, get to know the kids you already have a bit more." Edgar said.

"I guess you're right." Stu said agreeing with Edgar. He then took a good look at Edgar. It only took him not to realize that his all-black attire wasn't really what you call 'Happy-go-Lucky' like most bunnies where. "Uhh... Edgar, when did you started wearing... the clothes you're currently wearing?"

"If you're asking this now after **3 years** , then you are only proving my point more." Edgar said firmly.

Stu and John awkwardly looked at each other after that response.

"Alright. I'm going now. This was actually nice." Edgar said. "Hopefully, the next talk won't take 3 more years."

With that said, Edgar was went back on his way, reading his book. So it was just Stu and John again. The two went back to their chair and sat back on them.

"Wow. Edgar's... quite the character for your family." John said smiling awkwardly.

"Now I'm really starting to question myself." Stu said looking down. "Now I don't know if I'm there enough for my kids."

"Stu, you still do a good job. Judy and the others turned out okay." John said. "Maybe you mess up one or two things, but you still did your best. Like I said before, 276 kids is a lot. I couldn't do it."

"Yeah... but it seems like out of nowhere, they are all starting to grow up and change so much. Feels like I've been pretty stupid not to notice." Stu said. "I do know one thing."

"What's that?" John asked.

"After this next litter, I think Bonnie and I should slow down on having more kids for now." Stu said.

"With as much kids that you had, I'm surprised you wait til now to think that." John said. "But one of those kids happen to be Judy. The best friend Nick's ever made."

"I could say the same about Judy with Nick." Stu said with a smile.

"Hmm... it's actually weird. You're thinking about lowering down on having more kids, while I'm... I'm at more ease with having more kids now." John admitted.

"What's weird is our friendship." Stu said. "Come on. A farming bunny from the country and tailoring fox from the city. You got to admit,it's weird."

"Ha ha! You're right." John said joyfully. "It's not like I plan to move to the country."

"And it's not like I plan to move to the city. Yet for some reason, we're friends. How did that even happen?" Stu asked.

"That's easy to answer. Cause of our kids. We love our kids." John answered. "The friendship between those was so strong that we just to keep it going."

"You're absolutely right." Stu said nodding. "If there's anything the two of us can agree on, it's make our kids happy for as long as we can."

"Couldn't said it better myself." John said happily.

While John and Stu are almost completely different, the two can agree that they want their children to be happy. In doing so, Nick and Judy's strong friendship has given them a strong friendship as well. John and Stu got off of their chairs and shook each others paws.

"Thanks for the talk, Johnny. It helped got a lot out of my chest." Stu said happily.

"No problem. You did the same for me." John said as before letting go of Stu's paw. "By the way, there was just one more thing I wanted to ask you."

"Is it about our blueberries?" Stu asked thinkings John wanted to know more about them.

"No. No. Well... Nicky and I DO want to know how you made them so good, but that's not it." John said. "I was curious, are you planning for your kids to go to college? For us, Nick wasn't sure about going to college, but Frankie and I always pinch some pennies just in case."

"Well, for Bonnie and I, we not really sure any of our kids will go to college." Stu said.

"Was that before... or after most of them wanted to switch careers?" John asked.

Stu went silent. For all he knew, his kids opinions on college might change too.

"How much? How much would it be to send all my kids to go to college?" Stu asked looking worried.

"Aren't you the one who's good at multiplying?" John asked.

"Johnny." Stu said

"Hang on." John said getting out a mini-calculator from his pocket. "Okay. Tuition for most colleges are $8,000."

"Per year?" Stu asked.

"Per semester." John said.

"*groan* Okay. Go on." Stu said clinching his gut.

"Now, room and board is about $9,000 for four years. Then there's books and other expenses. Lastly, the fact you currently have 276 kids." John said as he types the numbers on his calculator. "That would make a grand total of..."

John completely froze when he saw the number on his calculator. It was not a pretty sight.

"What's the number, Johnny?" Stu asked.

"Mmm mmm." John said shaking his head and not wanting to say the number.

"What's the number?" Stu asked again.

"Ugggggghhh... you're not gonna like it." John said giving him a warning.

"I can take it, John." Stu said bracing himself.

"...$20,148,000." John said.

Stu wanted to pass out and fall to the ground after just hearing the number. $20,14800? Who besides super rich people would be able to pay that much? John was holding on the Stu and keeping him up.

"Tw... Tw... Twenty mi... mill... mill..." Stu stumbled not wanting to say the number.

"Stu! Stu! Calm down." John said. "Maybe you're right. Maybe your kids don't all want to go to college. This was only the number if they all wanted to go. It's too early to worried about that."

"You're... you're right. Too early to get freaked out." Stu said.

As he said that, one of the kids, Ellinor, went into the room. Seem like Ellinor had something to say.

"Dad, after high school, I'm thinking of continuing my education by going to college." Ellinor said.

Oh boy. That's one peg down.

"If I'm gonna be a professor one day, I'm gonna need to actually go to college." Ellinor said. "Just thought I would let you know."

Ellinor then left the room.

"Ellinor's smart. Maybe she'll get a scholarship." John stated.

"Right. Right." Stu said thinking that John had a point.

Then, Gwen was next to come in.

"Dad, Ellinor was talking about going to college and I was thinking about doing the same." Gwen said.

Another peg down.

"Having some extra education could be nice before I try starting that daycare." Gwen said. "Okay, see ya."

Just like that, Gwen left the room.

"She started babysitting, right? In this town, she's be paving her way to college in no time." John stated shrugging.

"Yeah." Stu said.

Then you wouldn't think anyone else would come in, Xand, Mikey, and Paulie came in now.

"Yo dad? Were you just talking about college stuff?" Xand asked.

"Uhhh... kinda." Stu said sounding a bit worried.

"We didn't know college was an opinion in this family." Mikey said.

"Big campus parties, awesome peoples..." Paulie said smiling.

"... Hot girls..." Xand, Mikey, and Paulie said all smirking.

"We're so going." Xand said pumping his fist. "Let's get everyone else to do the same."

"Yeah!" Mikey and Paulie shouted out agreeing.

"Now wait a moment, you three." Stu shouted out not want them to get ahead of themselves.

It was too late for that. They were already shouting out "College! College! College!" as they left the room. Three more pegs have been taken down. Stu still stand, but now his head was down and he was getting all mopey. John did his best comfort him back patting him on the back.

"Oh Stewie... do I even need to say it?" John said.

"I had too many kids?" Stu said.

"You had too many kids." John said to him. "Better get a jar and start saving up now."

"Right..." Stu said still all mopey.

As Stu continue to sulk, Nick and Judy came back from their meeting with their friends and notices Stu and John in the den. Nick and Judy were a bit curious why Stu was like the way he is at the moment.

"Uhhhh... is your dad okay?" Nick asked Judy. "He's acting the same way pop does when he gets a huge bill."

"Ehhhh. I'm sure he's fine." Judy said not worrying about it.

"Want to see if there's any more pizza left?" Nick asked Judy with a smile.

"I thought you would never ask." Judy said happily.

So the two kids made their way to the kitchen for pizza. While John tried to help Stu with his... little problem. Hopefully, not all of them will go to college. But that doesn't say anything about possible debts for the ones that do.

 **That's the end of this chapter. But the best is still more yet to come. Sorry for this chapter having 90% less Nick and Judy. Next chapter won't be that way. Promise.**


	22. Chapter 20: Judy's day with Nick's Folks

**Woo woo! Chapter 20! A big milestone for this story. Honestly, I didn't think I would make the story this long at first. But whatever gives me more views and favorites. Anyway, this is gonna be another different chapter than what I usually do. In past chapters, I always made the main focus be on both Nick and Judy or just Nick. So for this chapter, Judy will be the main focus. Judy decides to spend time with Nick's parents to get to know them better. I felt that I should have done a chapter like this a long while ago. I actually feel very happy with the concept of John and Francine. Still wish they were included on the movie more. Well... at least see Nick's mom's face and John make it to the final draft. Oh well. It is what it is. Let's begin this chapter.**

* * *

At the Wilde's house, Nick, Judy, Finnick, Benji, Gazelle, Greg, Eric, the twins, Cole and Conner, Falisha, Audran, Mervin, Ronnie, and Flash were all in the living room hanging out. There was no Zoo-Burrows meeting today, so they were all in normal clothes. They all just wanted to hang out today. The boys were playing video games on the TV and the girls were playing with a giant Junga set. The girls had hard hats on. Mrs. Wilde's rule. While the girls were still stacking pegs up, Cole and Conner were playing a starship shooting co-op game and looked like they were about to lose. The other boys were busy shouting out what to do.

"Go left! Go left!" Nick shouted out to Cole and Conner.

"We know." Cole and Conner said trying to focus.

"Blast the aliens on your right." Benji shouted out.

"We know." Cole and Conner said starting to get irritated.

"Get the shield power-up." Finnick told them.

"Can you guys just be quiet and let us focus?" Cole shouted out.

"Yeah! We got this, okay?" Conner shouted out.

At that moment, a giant spaceship appearing on the screen and blasted a mega laser at Cole and Conner's ships and destroyed them. It was game over for them.

"... Annnnnd you're both dead." Nick stated.

"Those were your last lives too." Benji stated.

"Uggggghhhh..." Cole and Conner groaned with their heads down in disappointment.

"Well... that was bad." Mervin stated.

"Should have gotten that shield power-up." Finnick said crossing his arms.

"Alright, hand over the controllers. It's Eric and I's turn." Greg said wanting to play next.

"No way. We demand another shot." Conner said not wanting to let go of the controller.

"Dude, you two had your turns. Now pass the controllers here." Eric said firmly.

"No!" Cole and Conner said with neither of them giving up the controllers.

"Okay! That's it." Greg said getting mad.

Greg and Eric then wrestled the twins for the controllers. The twins weren't letting up easily. Everyone just stood back from them and shook their heads.

"If you guys break any of my controllers, you're gonna buy me a new one." Nick stated if there were gonna get too rough.

While that was going on, Gazelle carefully stacked one of the pegs to the top of the giant Junga tower. Lucky for her, the tower was still intact.

"Excellent!" Gazalle shouted happily.

"Nicely done, Gazelle." Judy said.

"¡Gracias!" Gazelle said with a smile.

"Alright Jude, it's your turn. Think you can keep the tower from falling?" Falisha said with a sly smirk.

"I can handle it." Judy said confidently.

Judy carefully took out on of the middle pegs. The tower wobbled, but it still held up. Now Judy just needed to stack it to the top. The tower was taller than her, so she had to get on her tip-toes. She then took a small leap and stack the peg on the top. She then slowly took 3 steps back from the tower, hoping it wouldn't fall. It was still standing. Judy was relieved.

"Alright Falisha, it's your turn." Judy said slyly.

"Right..." Falisha said looking a bit worried.

Falisha slowly picked out one of the pegs and... the tower started to tilt.

"No no NO!" Falisha shouted out.

The shouting didn't help. The tower crumbled and fell down to the ground.

"JUNGA!" Everyone but Falisha shouted out.

"Grrr..." Falisha growled not too happy this.

"Looks like you lose, Fal." Judy said smirking and shrugging.

"Ehhhh. Well... I guess it's no big deal." Falisha said getting over it. She then takes off her hard hat. "Besides, I need to be heading home."

"Me too." Gazelle said taking off her hard hat as well.

"Oh yeah. I got to get going too." Ronnie said getting up. "It's mac-n-cheese night and mom told me to get some stuff from the store before I come home."

"I need to be off too. Someone's got to help Flash get home." Audren said as he gets up.

"I... can... get... home... just... fine. You... don't... have... to... worry... about... me." Flash said slowly.

"And with that said, I'm DEFINITELY helping you get home." Audren stated.

"Hehehe." Mervin laughed.

"Alright. See ya, everyone." Falisha said waving goodbye.

"Adiós." Gazelle said waving goodbye as well.

"See ya later, guys!" Nick said happily waving goodbye.

With their goodbyes said, Falisha, Gazelle, Ronnie, and Audren carrying Flash, left the room. So now it was just Nick, Judy and her brothers, Finnick, Benji, and Mervin. Nick looked at the clock in the room and sees that it's only 2:00pm.

"The day's still young. You guys want to do something else?" Nick asked his friends.

"I got some time before I should head home." Finnick said.

"I got hang out some more too." Benji said happily.

"What about you, Merv?" Nick asked Mervin if he needed to head home as well.

"I have two choices. A.) Head home to Noogie City where my brothers are or B.) Hang with you guys a little longer. B. Definitely B." Mervin said firmly.

"Alright then. How about we all head for the arcade?" Nick asked.

"The arcade? That sounds awesome." Greg said excited.

"We always want to go there since you first mentioned it." Eric said excited as well.

"Then maybe after that we hit the comic book store across the street?" Nick asked.

"Nick, you're describing the best day for us." Greg said happily.

"So it's a plan then. The Marsh Pit and Comics it is." Nick said happily. He then looked at Judy. "Judy, you're coming along too, right?"

"Video games and comics... with a bunch of boys." Judy said not sounding to fond of the idea. "Thanks, but I think I find my own thing to do. But you boys go on ahead."

"Ehh. Suit yourself." Nick said shrugging. Nick turned off the TV and game system. Then he got his red cap and put it on his head. "To the Marsh Pit, guys."

"To the Marsh Pit!" All the other boys shouted out.

"Later, Carrots!" Nick said to Judy. "In you change your mind, you know where we'll be."

"Uh huh." Judy said nodded.

So Nick and the other boys left the room to have a bit of a guys day. Judy was now alone in the room. Something that she never really use to. Between her big family or hanging out with Nick and her other friends, she was never really alone. While her mom was still at home and her dad was currently looking around the city for partnerships, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde were still in the house.

"Now that I think about it, I don't really know much about Nick's family. It feels weird since Nick already knows so much about my family." Judy thought. "Guess I should start. I'll go talk to Mr. and Mrs Wilde."

Judy decided that the best way to know Nick's family was to talk to his family. So she went downstairs to the shop to talk to John and Frankie. Currently, Frankie was the only one in the storefront and she was currently cleaning around the shop. She hummed while she was using a feather duster to clean the counters. Judy walks over to Frankie and get her attention.

"Ummm... Mrs. Wilde?" Judy said as she lightly tugs on her skirt.

"Oh? Hello there, Judy." Frankie said greeting the little bunny. "I thought you were with Nick and the others. They left just a while ago."

"They wanted to do boy things, so I decided to stay behind. Besides, I... actually wanted to spend some time with you, Mrs. Wilde. If that's okay?" Judy said.

"Oh. Well that's sweet of you." Frankie said with a smile. "Sure, but I need to clean the store a bit more. That and other parts of the house."

"I can help." Judy said willing to help out.

"Thank you. Seems like only I do all the work when it comes to the house. I love the boys, but they can be lazy when they shouldn't be." Frankie stated.

"Well I'm not lazy... or a boy. So you don't have to worry about that." Judy said smiling.

"Happy to hear." Frankie said smiling.

So Judy help Frankie around the house. She helped her move some boxes, arrange the suits and put them on hangers, wipe the windows cleans, and sweep the floors. After a couples of minutes, they were finished with cleaning. They both decided to sit on the couch in the living room to talk a bit. There was also a plate of cookies and some glasses of orange juice.

"So Mrs. Wilde, can you tell me a bit about yourself?" Judy asked she picks up her juice glass.

"What do you wanna know?" Frankie asked.

"What were you like when you were my age?" Judy asked.

"When I was your age? Feels like it was just yesterday when I was that young." Frankie said feeling nostalgic. "Well... in my family, it was my mother, my father, and my brother and sister. I was the oldest out of all the kids. In some ways, I was a lot like you. But I was also a bit of a... well... **stick-in-the-mud**."

"Stick-in-the-mud?" Judy said tilting her head.

"I was known to do things by the rules. My parents told me what to do and I followed them. The same thing when it come to rules in the school." Frankie said before sipping her juice and then putting on a coaster on the table. "I mean, it's important that you listen to your parents, at certain points, but as I did that... I stopped having fun and became more of a stickler."

"So what changed you?" Judy asked after eating on of the cookies.

"Mr. Wilde, of course." Frankie answered. "I don't know if he told you yet, but when I met Johnathan, he was a bit of a 'bad boy'."

Judy already knew that when Nick and her were listening in on one of their parents' conversations. But she didn't want Frankie to know about their eavesdropping, so she kept that on the low.

"Bad boy? Mr. Wilde? I find that hard to believe." Judy said before picking up a cookie from the table.

"You would be right about that. He wasn't much of one. But at the time, he was very free-spirited." Frankie stated.

"Free-spirited?" Judy said after taking a bite of the cookie she was holding.

"Oh yes. Johnny like doing things his own way and not by the book. But while he did things differently, he never really did anything wrong." Frankie stated. "John was clever and he show me that we never had to do things the same way as others."

"So that's how you became less of a... stick-in-the-mud." Judy said.

"Uh huh." Frankie said nodding.

"Guess it's no surprise. Mr. Wilde kinda has that effect on people." Judy stated. "My parents are both waaaaaaay more easygoing after meeting him. I think almost everyone he meets likes him."

"Not everyone." Someone said.

Judy and Frankie looks to see that it was John. Frankie looked a bit concern when John said that. She was pretty sure she can guess who she meant.

"This again. Johnny, daddy does not hate you." Frankie said to John.

"He does. He always did." John said firmly. "We both know that."

"Johnny, you're being ridiculous." Frankie said.

"Am I?" John asked raising an eyebrow. John then walks over to the side of the couch that Judy was on and leans down to the ground beside her. "Let me tell you a little story, Judy. A few days after I propose to Mrs. Wilde here, we decided to go tell our families. My family was more than happy and the same for **most** of Frankie's. Except... for her father."

"Johnathan..." Frankie said not wanting him to go farther.

"When Frankie told her father she was getting married, his response was..." John then deepen his voice to sound like Frankie's father. " _So long as it isn't that Wilde Boy you dated in high school._ " John then went back to his normal. "A few seconds later, I came into the room and gave me 'the look'. The look that says that he was gonna kill me when I least expected it."

"Oh Johnathan..." Frankie said as she shook her head.

"Frankie, you know darn well that he always gave me daggers up until the day we got hitched." John said to Frankie.

"Did... anything happen to change his opinion on you?" Judy asked curiously.

"Just one thing. When we told him he was going to be a grandpa and that we controlled how often he could see his grandson depended on his attitude." John said with a smirk. "Hehe! Now he thinks twice before insulting me."

"Are you done now, Johnny?" Frankie asked with an eyebrow up.

"I'm just letting Judy know that you can't do any better than me." John said confidently while getting back on his feet. He then started to have a worried expression on his face. "You... can't do any better than me, right?"

"Yeah, sure." Frankie said in a short of 'meh' tone. "Don't you have suits to tailor, Johnny?"

"Right. Right. I should... get to tailoring." John said sounding insecure. He then headed out to do his work. As he walked out away from Judy and Frankie he shouted out "Love you." to Frankie.

"I know." Frankie shouted back.

"... Say it back." John shouted.

"Love you, too." Frankie shouted out.

"Thank you." John shouted out sounding relieved.

Judy couldn't help but giggled with the way John and Frankie were with each other.

"You'll have to forgive Mr. Wilde, dearly. He can be a bit sensitive and insecure sometimes." Frankie stated. "But that's one of the reasons why I married him."

"Heehee! He's kinda like my dad in that way." Judy said still smiling.

"Haha! Guess so." Frankie said smiling as well. "To be honest, I know I can't do better than Johnathan. You may not know this, but when foxes pick their soulmates, they're soulmates for life. They are also dedicated when it comes to family. There is no one I know more dedicated than my Johnny."

"Hmm. I didn't know foxes were like that. Picking their soulmates and being so dedicated." Judy thought. "I wonder if it's true with what they say about soulmates with foxes? If... if that's truth, then..."

Judy then starting thinking about Nick. What if Nick happen to pick Judy as his soulmate? The idea of that almost made her face red. She tried not to think about it, yet Mrs. Wilde noticed the expression on her face.

Something wrong, dearly?" Frankie asked looking concern for the little bunny.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Judy said a bit frantic.

All current feelings aside, Judy liked talking to Frankie. It was like talking to her own mom, but different since she's... you know... a fox. As she did like hearing Frankie's stories, she wanted to know and see if there were any pictures of their life.

"Mrs. Wilde, I wanted to ask. Do you have any photos?" Judy asked.

"Of course. Do you want to see?" Frankie asked.

"Yes." Judy said happily.

Frankie got out of the couch and walked to a bookshelf and picked out a big photo album. She brought it with her as she sat back on the couch with Judy.

"In here are some of our most precious photos that have been taken over the years." Frankie stated to Judy.

"Only **one** photo album? Smaller families just get luckier and luckier." Judy said.

Frankie giggled a bit before opening up the album. The first page's photos of Frankie as a kid. She looked around the same age Judy was. If not a bit younger.

"Here's me when I was about your age." Frankie said.

"You look so young back then." Judy said looking at the pictures.

"Oh... thank you." Frankie said not sounding too happy, since it sounded like Judy was calling her old.

"Oh. Sorry. I wasn't trying to call you old." Judy said feeling a bit bad.

"I know. I'm know all too well that my younger years are behind me." Frankie admitted. She then turned the page. The next pages were of her and John as teenagers. "Here's some pictures of John and I when we started dating. We were so young and in love."

"Wow. Were you two that 'it' couple at high school?" Judy asked.

"In a way, yes. The fox 'it' couple that is." Frankie said. She then turned the page to a big wedding photo of her and John. John was in a nice black suit and Frankie was in a big beautiful white gown. The two were happily gazing at each other as they held paws. "Here's John and I on our wedding day. One of the happiest moments of our life."

"Awww. Must have been nice." Judy said with a smile.

"It was. It was a bit small. Only a few friends and family, but it was still a great day for the both of us." Frankie said with a smile. "You know, Johnny made the suit he's wearing here. When I found that out I was like "If the man I'm marrying is gonna wear a suit he made with his own two paws, then I should try to make my own dress.". But my mother wanted me to wear the old dress that she wore. It was a little torn up, so I spend the week redesigning it. So it was like a two-in-one thing. I was so happy how it turned out."

Judy could tell that Frankie really cared about her husband enough to remake an old dress instead of getting a different one. Frankie then turned the page again. Some more pictures of their wedding day with friends and family and on the right was some pictures of Frankie with John when she was pregnant.

"Were these..." Judy said.

"Yes. These pictures were taken when I was pregnant with Nick." Frankie stated. "Annnd..."

Since the last page was of Frankie pregnant with Nick, it's go to say that the next page would most likely be baby pictures of Nick. Now... Judy was still peeved at Nick for looking at her baby pictures. So Judy thought this could even their playing field. She turn the page and just as she expected baby pictures of Nick galore. On the left page was a picture of John with Frankie on a hospital bed holding newborn Nick in her arms."

"Here are some baby pictures of our little Nicky." Frankie said happily. "The top one on the left was taken when Nick was born."

Judy couldn't help but 'awww' at the sight of baby Nick. She covered her wide smile with her paws.

"Oh my gosh! He's was so tiny." Judy said happily.

"Isn't he just precious?" Frankie asked Judy with a smile. "There was a lot of crying that day. A bit from Nick and a bit from John and I." Frankie then pointed to the picture underneath. It was baby Nick covered in a blanket with a pacifier in his mouth. "This was taken the day we brought him home."

"Can't believe how cute he was." Judy said with a big smile. She then realized that she just call Nick 'cute'. "Mrs. Wilde, can you NOT tell Nick I called him that?"

"Don't worry about that. Your secret is safe with me." Frankie said after giggling a bit.

Frankie then pointed at the picture on the next page. It was baby Nick with a birthday hat on his head and in front of him was a piece of pie.

"Here's Nick on his first birthday. We couldn't get him a cake, so we got him a piece of blueberry pie." Frankie said. She then pointed at the picture underneath that one. It was baby Nick with his face covered with blueberry filling. "Here's him after eating the pie."

"Heeheehee!" Judy giggled. "That's definitely Nick. Even as a baby, he loved blueberries."

"From that day, we could tell that he was always gonna love blueberries." Frankie said happily. "He just ate that pie right up."

Frankie turn the page again and more pictures of baby Nick. Pictures of baby Nick happily sleeping in blankets, one of John holding Nick and smiling, and one of Frankie holding Nick happily in her arms. Nick looked very sleepy in the picture.

"When Nick was a baby, he was a bit fussy. It would always be hard to get him to sleep. So... I would sing to him." Frankie said. "Do you want to hear the song I always sang to him?"

"Sure." Judy said nodding.

So Frankie began to sing.

 _Whenever your face has an frown,_

 _I just want to turn it upside-down._

 _I don't mind staying with you for a while,_

 _Just as long as I get to see you smile._

"That... that song. That's the same song I heard Nick sing before." Judy said recalling hearing the lyrics before.

"Oh! So you know the song?" Frankie asked surprised. "He would always go straight to sleep when I sang that to him. I haven't sang him that song in years. I'm surprised that he remembered it."

"Hmmm. So Nick got the song from her mom." Judy thought.

Frankie then turned the pages a few more time to show Judy more pictures of Nick's younger years with his parents. Judy was a bit surprised there were so much pictures.

"I think you have more pictures of Nick than my parents have of me." Judy stated.

"Really?" Frankie asked looking surprised to hear that.

"I have a big family. There isn't enough film in the world for that." Judy said as a joke.

"Hahaha." Frankie laughed.

"Mrs. Wilde, I believe your son's sense of humor is contagious." Judy said not looking to happy about that.

"Sorry. You should know that he gets that from his daddy." Frankie said smiling.

Judy then turned the page to see the next round of photos. She stopped when she looked and realized when one of the pictures was taken. It was Nick wearing his Junior Rangers uniform looking happy. Too bad that day wasn't really a happy one. Judy ears drooped and she started feeling sad as she started to recall that day.

"This one. This... was taken on the day that was suppose to be his initiation, right?." Judy asked.

"Yes it was." Frankie said sadly.

"I'm sorry... for what happen." Judy said still feeling sad.

Judy looked at Frankie's face and saw her expression changed from a sad one to a bit of an angry one. She was still quite mad at the scout boys for what they did to Nick.

"I still can't believe those boys." Frankie said angrily. "What was going through their heads? What gave them the right to do what they did to my baby boy?"

"I don't know either. I just hated what they did to him. Putting a... muzzle on him." Judy said still mad about too. "Nick told me that you told them all off quite a bit."

"You better believe that I did. Those boys will think twice before doing that again." Frankie said firmly. She then wanted to ask Judy something. "Judith, why didn't you or Nick told me, Mr Wilde, or your parents about what really happened?"

"I'm sorry. We didn't want you to know what happen just yet. We wanted to handle the problem on our own. It was something that we just had to do." Judy said. "You know, when I was out... I felt that something was up." Judy started to grip at her chest. "I had this... pain in my chest. Like I knew something was wrong. Sadly, it was right. Nick felt so crushed and I just couldn't let him feel that way. Even when others don't think it, I know the truth about him. Your son is a really good person and someone I can always count on. I care about how he is... because... his friendship is special to me." Judy said with a smile.

Hearing that, Frankie was smiling too. She was so happy that Nick had a friend like her.

"Judy, do you mind turning to the next page?" Frankie asked. "There's something I want to show you."

"Okay." Judy said nodding.

She turned to the next page of the album and was really surprised both pages were filled with pictures of her with Nick. They were both smiling, laughing, and just being happy.

"These are... all pictures with me and Nick." Judy said still surprised.

"Uh huh. Look at Nick in each of these. The happiness in Nick's smile. The light in his eyes. I've never seen Nick this happy in a long time." Frankie said with a light smile. "It's because of you, you kept that light in his heart burning bright. Not only that..." Frankie then turned the page again. This time it was pictures of Nick with all his friends. Ben, Finnick, Gideon, Gazelle, Mervin, Flash, Ronnie, Audren, and Falisha. "... others have seen the goodness in his heart too. Now Nick has so many new friends that neither Mr. Wilde nor myself can keep count of them. It's all thanks to you, Judy."

"I.. I didn't do much. Really." Judy said feeling embarrassed. "Like I said, your son is a really good person. I'm glad he's my friend. More than glad, actually."

Frankie still couldn't help but smile with Judy's words. She then want to her something important.

"Judy, do you mind if I ask you a favor?" Frankie asked sincerely.

"What is it?" Judy asked.

Frankie then held Judy's left paw with both of her paws as she looks at her.

"Promise me... when you get older... that you will take **good care** of my son. Got it?" Frankie asked her.

At that moment, Judy started blushing madly. "Wha... what?" Judy shouted out. Take good care of her son? That's basically saying that she's giving her the okay to date her son. Maybe even the okay to marry him. This was a bit much for Judy to come up with a decent responds.

"Uhh... well... ummm... I..." Judy could barely think of what to say.

Next thing to happen was Frankie letting go of Judy's paw and breaking into laughter.

"Heeheehee! Oh my goodness, dearly. I'm just kidding." Frankie said still smiling.

"What?" Judy said still looking frazzled.

"I know you two are still too young to be thinking about that kind of stuff. So don't worry about it, kay?" Frankie said with a wink.

"O...kay..." Judy said starting to calm down.

"Anything else you want to talk about?" Frankie asked.

"No. I'm good." Judy told her as she close the photo album and got off the couch. "Well, it was really nice talking to you, Mrs. Wilde. I should go talk to Mr. Wilde now."

"Okay then. If you ever need someone to talk to again, you'll know where I'll be." Frankie said with a smile.

"Uh huh." Judy said happily nodding. She then finishes her juice and took another cookie before going. "See ya, Mrs. Wilde."

As Judy left, Frankie help by smirk about something as she picks up her glass of juice.

"Even when they don't think a mother knows, **a mother knows**." Frankie said smirking and before drinking her juice.

So it appears that Frankie knows about Judy's feelings for Nick. Meanwhile, let's see what Nick and the boys are up to. They were still at The Marsh Pit, playing arcade games. Nick, Finnick, Benji, and Mervin were playing a 4-player co-op game title "Streets of Furry Fury." **(Similar to Streets of Rages, if you ever played that.)**

"Well this feels weird." Finnick said while staying focus on the game.

"What is?" Nick asked while he was mashing at the buttons.

"Usually when bunny girl is here in the city, you two are pretty much connected by the hip. It feels weird that she's not here." Finnick stated.

"I was thinking that too." Benji said.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Nick said not sounding too happy. "Judy and I don't always need to hang out together. We are our own mammals after all."

"We know. It's just that we thought even with all of us boys, she would still join us." Benji said.

"Girls like their time away from boys while they can." Mervin stated. "That's why my mom loves her alone time so much."

"Well it's that Carrots and I want alone time. I like hanging out with Carrots, but she's still a girl. Sometimes, I just want to hang out with guys, y'know?" Nick stated.

"That's understandable." Mervin said.

"Yeah. It's not like you need to spend 24/7 with her anyway." Finnick said.

"Exactly." Nick said.

"Level complete." The game said.

"Nice. Get ready for the next one, guys." Nick said to them. "Remember, teamwork."

"Right." Benji said looking focused.

"We're probably better than those four with it." Finnick said while pointing at Judy's brothers.

Eric, Greg, and the twins were playing one of the games and by their expressions, they must have not done too well.

"It's official. You guys stink at video games." Greg stated to his brothers angrily.

"As if you didn't suck it up either." Eric said firmly.

"That's it. Switching to skeeball." Conner said walking away.

"You're probably gonna stink at that too." Cole said.

"Did you just **REALLY** just went there?" Conner said glaring at Cole.

"I believe I did." Cole said glaring at Conner.

"Please? You're twins. You probably stink equally." Greg said.

"Okay. You know what?" Cole and Conner shouted out.

The next thing to happen was the four brothers having an argument. Nick and the others just watched from a distance.

"Ah jeez! Those guys better not get themselves kicked out for this." Nick said.

"Hehehehehe!" Mervin laughed. "It's funny when siblings besides your own go at it." Mervin said.

Nick, Finnick, and Benji shrugged in agreement before getting back to their game. Meanwhile, back at the Wilde house, Judy went to talk to John. She didn't see him upstairs or at the storefront. So that meant he must be in the basement. Judy walked the basement stairs, hoping John was not too busy.

"Mr. Wilde? Mr. Wilde?" Judy called out. She didn't hear a response.

Judy goes down all the stairs and looks around the room. As she walks forward, she sees John on his desk, sleeping.

"He's asleep?" Judy said. "Guess tailoring can be tiresome sometimes."

As Judy looked around and sees more of the suits that he's been working on, something catches her interest. It look like a small model of a store. It had a nice model with a window display of both suit and dresses and several mammals in suits.

"What's this? Looks like a shop." Judy thought. She then recalled Nick saying something about his dad wanting a bigger store. "Oh. This must be the model for it."

At that moment, John started to wake up. But as he did, he didn't expect someone to be in the room with him. So he kinda scream when he saw Judy.

"WAAAHHH!" John screamed.

"AHHH!" Judy screamed as a responds to being scared by the scream.

"Ju... Judy?" John said realizing that it was her.

"Y... yes?" Judy said still a little shaken from the scream.

"Oh. It's you." John said calming down now. "You surprised me."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to." Judy said apologetic.

"No. It's okay. I probably shouldn't be sleeping on the job anyway." John said scratching the back of his head. "So, what can I do for you? I'm assuming you're here for something."

"Nothing big really. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit. If that's okay." Judy asked.

"Of course. What do you wanna talk about?" John asked with a warm smile.

"Can I ask what's that model is over there?" Judy said point at the model.

"Oh. That." John said looking at his old model display. He then walked to it and picked it up. "This sweetie... is Suitopia."

"Suitopia?" Judy said tilting her head.

"Wilde and Son's Suitopia. It's the original store that I planned to have before this old shop." John stated happily. "For all you suit and tailoring needs. From the tiniest of mice, to the biggest of elephants, We have the suit for you. It's not Zootopia. It's Wilde and Son's Suitopia."

"Wow. Sounds amazing." Judy said with a smile.

"It is. Well... it would have been... if I was ever able to make it a reality." John said sadly.

"Nick told me about you wanting a bigger store, but that every loan company you went to turned you down." Judy said.

"So he told you that, did he?" John said. "Sadly, it was true. They can give a loan to a tiny mouse who is actually sneaky. But they can't give a loan to a fox that's actually honest." John then puts the model back on the table. "So we had to scrap up all our savings and buy this place. It was fine cause we needed to move into a new place anyway. Sure this place was old and needed a lot of work, but we made progress. Even if we still have some pretty squeaky floors."

"I actually like the squeaky floors." Judy said with a smile.

"Haha! You're probably the first to think that." John said.

"So Mr. Wilde, did you always wanted to be a tailor?" Judy asked.

"Actually no. Originally, I use to work for City Hall." John said.

"CITY HALL?!" Judy shouted out stunned.

"Yeah! Just a few things." John said and he gets back to sitting on his chair. He then patted on his lap, wanting Judy to sit on. "Come here. I'll tell you more about it."

Judy then hopped onto John laps to hear the story of him working on City Hall.

"You know I usually only let Nick sit here, but you're a special case." John said with a smile.

"I feel honored." Judy said happily. "So, tell me about you in City Hall. Like, what did you do?"

"Well... when I first work there, it was really only an internship. You know, pushing papers, moving boxes, and getting the coffee." John said. "This was all before I married Francine. Around the time I married her, I wanted to do more. I wanted to help change the city for the better. Making it more of an actual Utopia instead of a city of mammals living together."

"Wow! So amazing. Did you wanted to become **mayor** of Zootopia?" Judy asked.

"Mayor of..." John said surprised. He then broke into laughter for a bit. He thought that Judy was making a joke. But then he toke a good look at Judy's expression and could tell she actually meant it. "Oh my god. You're serious, are you?"

Judy responded by nodding.

"Uhhh... well... hate to break it to you, but this town doesn't want a fox to run it." John said.

"Why not?" Judy asked. "This is Zootopia. Where anyone could be anything. So why can't a fox be mayor?"

"Want my honest opinion? Cause they rather not." John stated. "For the mayors of this city, they want other mammals. Horses, lions, bears, bulls, tigers, camels, elephants. They wanted the bigger mammals and nothing smaller. The mammals that already been mayors. But foxes... there has never been a **fox** mayor."

"Well maybe things should change." Judy said. "All mammals can good and trustworthy. Anyone who thinks otherwise... is just a big idiot."

"Hahaha! That sounds like something I would say. Guess Nicky has been talking about me." John said with a wide smile. "While I did plan to help the city, I had no plans to be mayor. I just wanted to do my part and making the city better for everyone."

"So what did you do?" Judy asked.

"Front desk work." John simply said.

"What?" Judy said surprised.

"Actually... back desk work. They thought a fox in front was bad for their image." John said.

"Well that's unfair and uncool of them." Judy said crossing her arms and looking mad.

"It was. All I did was simple desk work in and out for 4 to 5 years. Didn't feel great about it, but the pay was good." John stated. "Still... I would always tried to give City Hall some of my ideas and move up the ladder. However, they never take the time to listen to a fox. Or see him go up the ladder."

"Didn't it bother you being treated that way?" Judy asked.

"Of course it did. But Nick was still really little and we needed the money. So... I swallowed my pride and did what I had to. I'm still not very proud of myself." John admitted.

"So when did you stop working for them?" Judy asked.

"I remember on my last day it was when I finally had it. See, I had a few more ideas for the city held up and some jerk actually stole them and claim them as his own. But the worst part was no one believe me. I was so ticked that I ripped up all ideas from me, poured hot coffee down my superior's pants, toke their muffin basket and then ran off." John said firmly.

"You... you actually did all that?" Judy asked looking stunned.

"Uh huh... and to be honest... it... felt... good." John said smirking. "I hated how they treated me. So I was more than thrilled to leave. But then I realized something. How was I gonna support my wife and kid?"

"Was that when you decided to be a tailor?" Judy asked.

"More or less, yes." John said.

"I see. What made you choose tailoring?" Judy asked.

"Well it started when toke a little walk around thy city. Turns out that not only foxes were getting the short end of the stick, but other predators and even prey were being treated unfairly as well." John stated. "I felt the main reason because of this was certain mammals appearances. That when I had an idea. I was always good at making suits, so why not be a tailor?" John then started to sound more bold. "I believe that with right suit, anyone can look the part of not being scary or looking conniving. I hope that one day, everyone in Zootopia will know about me and suits."

"Wow. What a nice dream to have." Judy said happily. "I hope that happens for you one day."

"Thanks, Judy." John said appreciating Judy's kind word.

"But there one thing I do get. Why do people treat you and other foxes so unfairly?" Judy asked. "This is suppose to be Zootopia. The city where anyone can be anything. Why don't mammals believe that?"

"*sigh* Time." John simply said.

"Time?" Judy said tilting her head in confusing.

"Yes. When the city was first built, before any of us were born, there was a time where things were great and mammals got along. But that was a long time ago." John said. "As time pass, people just forgot about those time and just started becoming what they are instead of being anything else."

"That's kinda sad." Judy said as her ears drooped.

"It is. Some of us just happen to lose our ways." John stated. "Even with us being evolve, we aren't truly evolved."

"Cause we're not truly evolved until we see others for who we are and not what we are." Judy said.

"That's... exactly right." John said a little surprised. "Wow! How did you know that?"

"It was your son." Judy said proudly with her ears back up. "Nick's always telling me this kind of stuff."

"Hahaha! Guess that boy DOES listen to me." John said joyfully. "I'm always teaching that boy everything that I can. Taught him always to be smart and to be clever."

"So that's why Nick's so clever." Judy thought. "It was because of Mr. Wilde. Must be nice to have a dad so wise."

Judy liked talking to John. It was good to take the time to know the father of her best friend more. One thing that she always found curious was John himself. Most people aren't as encouraging or optimistic as he is. Let alone a fox who's like that.

"Mr. Wilde, how did you became the way you are now?" Judy asked.

"Oh. You really want to know? Well... I guess you can say that I got it from my father." John said.

"You father? You mean Nick's grandfather?" Judy said.

"That's what a father's father is." John said.

John then picked up a photo frame from his counter. The photo was of a young fox and an older fox wearing fishing gear and holding a fishing pole. John shows this picture to Judy.

"See that little fox there? That was me when I was around Nick's age." John said.

"That's you? Wow. You look so much like Nick back then." Judy stated.

"He had to get his looks from somewhere." John said with a smirking.

"So the other fox must be..." Judy said.

"Yep. Nick's grandpa, AKA my dad. Thomson Wilde. This was taken during our father-son fishing trip. You know, I always thought Nick and I should have our own father-son fishing trip. Never got to it." John said while scratching his chin. "Anyway, when I was a kid, he was... a bit tough on me. Now... I don't mean that in a bad way. He was hard for a reason. He told me that us foxes may have it rough because others would always think that we were no good. So he wanted me to grow and stay true to myself, no matter what others thought about me. And he was right. Other may have thought the worst about me, but I didn't pay them no mind. I continued to stay true and honest cause that's who I am. I own my old man for raising me to be this way." John then put the photo back on the counter. "But Nick, I..."

John expression changed into a sad one. Judy noticed.

"Mr. Wilde?" Judy said concern for John's being.

"... I didn't raise Nick to think that way." John said sadly. "I wanted Nick to believe that the world wasn't against fox. I wanted him to believe that he could be anything he choose to be without fears of being judged. But... we both knew where that lead to."

"..." Judy was silent and her ears drooped.

"When Nick told me that he was willing to give up on everything, just him saying those words, made my heart ache." John said sadly as he gripped his chest where his heart is. "My own son was ready to give up on the world and just be what everyone saw him as. If that... if that had happen,... then I would have fail my job as his father."

John tried not to, but shredded a few tears from his eyes. Most people never see this sad of John. Most of the time, he was always happy and go-lucky. But to see him sad and crying like this, didn't made Judy feel great. She wanted to make John feel better.

"Mr. Wilde, you did great... no, amazing job raising Nick." Judy said to John. "Nick is the most joyful, coolest, nicest person I have ever met. That's why I'm proud to call him my best friend."

John then wiped off his tears and lightly smiled at Judy.

"Seems like you really do value your friendship with my boy." John said smiling. "Judy, I don't think I've told you yet, but I'm am really grateful that you're friends with Nick. You should know, that my Nicky is really thankful for you being his friend."

"I already knew that. We say that to each other about a thousand times." Judy said smiling. "But I feel that he's done more for me than I have done for him."

"Really?" John said.

"Nick has change my little world in more ways than one." Judy said. "He show me that all foxes aren't bad, both prey and predators can be meek or vicious, the amazing sights of this city, and has even got my family to want to do more than just settle." Judy started brushing one of her ears and blushing a bit. "Your son is a really amazing person, Mr. Wilde. One of the best people I have ever known."

"Oh ho. So she does have feelings for my son." John thought smiling.

John was really smart man. REALLY smart. After talking to Nick, he already knew that his that he had strong feelings for Judy. Now after talking to Judy, he now knows that Judy has strong feelings Nick.

"Say Judy? You said that you wanted to be a police officer so you can help make the world a better place, right?" John asked.

"Uh huh." Judy said nodding.

"Well... I don't know about the whole world, but you have definitely made our world better." John said.

"I have?" Judy asked looking a bit surprised.

"Judy, my son has more friends, my store is doing better than ever, and our lives have never been more positive." John said. "All of that wouldn't be possible, if it wasn't for you."

"Well... when you say it like that, I guess it's true." Judy said scratching the back of her head.

"Either way, just know that you're always welcome here in this family, Judy." John said sincerely as he patted Judy's head.

"Thanks, Mr. Wilde." Judy said happily.

Judy then gave John a hug and John gave one back. Judy then later ends the hugs.

"Now... is there anything else you want to talk about?" John asked.

"No. I think I'm fine. I kinda want to join Nick and the others again." Judy said getting off of John's lap. "They are probably at the comic store by now. Do you know where that is?"

"Oh. Go straight to the corner, take a left and head to where all the corner store. Can't miss it." John said.

"Thanks!" Judy said happily.

Judy then made her way to the stairs to leave. But before she went up them, John called out to Judy for one more thing to say.

"Ohhhh Judy! Before you go..." John said.

"Yeah?" Judy said looking back at John.

"I feel that I should give you a little heads-up. One thing us Wilde men are known for is our charm. So keep that in mind in case you end up falling for my son." John said smirking.

Hearing John say that, made Judy jump.

"Wha... wha... WHAT?!" Judy shouted out starting to blush madly. "I don't... he's not.. uhh.. ahh... umm..." Judy could not come up with anything to say. So... she just quickly went up the stairs and said "Gotta go!".

She then left the room she thought "First Nick's mom, now his dad? Why does everyone thinking Nick and I our a couple?" John just had a sly smirk on his face.

"Haha. She's a keeper, Nicky. She's a keeper." John said happily.

John went back to working on his suits. Meanwhile, back with Nick and the other boys, they were at the comic book store, looking at some comics that interested them. Looking at the racks, the boys, not including Nick, were trying to think which comics they wanted to read while talking about comics.

"Ever wonder why in comics there are so many villains and only one good guys?" Greg asked everyone.

"That's just how it is in comic books." Finnick said. "Bad guys will be bad guys and it's the good guys' job to stop them."

"Yeah... but why do the bad guys have to choose to be bad guys?" Conner said.

"Probably because some of them had no choice." Finnick said. "You know the stories, horrible life, no friends, hated by others. The kind of stuff that leads people to do bad things. Kinda sad really."

"Yeah. Not only that, in some comics, the hero is the reason why the villains exist." Mervin stated.

"Aw man. So is that the case in real life too?" Eric asked.

"In some ways, yes. That's why cops exist." Finnick stated. "Maybe that's why Nick and bunny girl want to be cops."

"I wonder if you're right." Benji said.

"Well... sad stuff or not, comics would be booooring without the villains." Greg stated.

"True." All the boys said.

As Finnick, Benji, Mervin, and Judy's brothers continued talking, Nick was checking racks on the other side of the store for any comics that he liked to read. He picked up one with a red fox wearing a green outfit, a red mask, an bow and arrows, and an hood over his head. The comic was title " _Hood_ ". Nick seem pretty excited about this comic.

"Aww sweet! The new issue of _'Hood'_ is out." Nick said as he picked it up.

What Nick didn't know was that someone was behind him.

" _Hood_? What's that about?" The person asked.

"It's kinda like Robin Hood, but different. The main character is a fox who's fight his enemies with a bow and arrow." Nick said. "In the world he lives in, predators are often mistreated and several of the prey in the story are sort of corrupted from this. So Hood goes out everyday to fight against villains who mistreat predators and for everyone to be equals."

"Sounds cool." The person said.

"Yeah... but most prey mammals don't like it. All the main villains in the comics are prey. There was even a evil bunny once. To top it off, the hero's a fox." Nick stated. "I don't think they like the idea of a fox being a hero."

"Well, even being a prey mammal, I think it's great." The person said.

"Sounds like you would be the f..." Nick said as he turns around to see who it was. He was shocked to found out it was someone he knew. It was Judy. "Judy!"

"Hello Slick." Judy said greeting her friend.

"I didn't think you would actually want to show up here. That's why I didn't guess it was you sooner." Nick stated.

"You're sounding like you didn't want me to come here." Judy said.

"Naw. You know I'm always happy to see you." Nick said with a smile. "So, what were you up to?"

"Nothing really. Just getting to know your parents." Judy said. "I got to say Nick, you have some pretty cool parents."

"You don't think I already knew that?" Nick said with a smirk. "But I'm glad you got to know my folk more."

"By the way..." Judy said started to smirk slyly. "Remember when you told me you saw my baby pictures?"

"Yeeeeah?" Nick said looking confused.

"We're even." Judy said smugly.

"Ahh..." Nick said started to feel embarrassed. But then he started to smirk slyly for some reason. "Then can I ask you something? You thought I was a cute baby, did ya?"

Hearing Nick said, Judy started blushing again. She didn't want Nick to think that he was a cute baby. Nick on the other hand, he WANTED Judy to call him cute.

"Welll..." Nick said leaning down to her level and still smiling sly.

"I'm not saying anything." Judy said looking away from Nick.

"Come on, Carrots. Admit it." Nick said.

"I don't have to admit anything." Judy said firmly.

"Say it." Nick said.

"No." Judy said firmly.

"Say it or I'll lift you up from the ground. And I know how much you hate that." Nick said singing at the end a bit.

"Don't you even." Judy said feeling peeved with Nick.

So as those two began ANOTHER one of their arguments, their friends just happen to watch them go at each others.

"I swear, I can never understand these two." Finnick said to the others.

"Agreed." Melvin, Greg, Eric, Cole, and Conner went.

"They're still adorable together." Benji said happily.

Things never change when it come to Nick and Judy.

A few days later, in the middle of the night at the Wilde's house, everyone was still sleeping. This included John and Frankie. As the tried to catch some Z's, they hear the phone ringing loudly.

"Johnny, the phone's ringing." Frankie said to her husband.

"Ugh! It's 1 in the morning. Don't they know this house of foxes isn't nocturnal?" John said irritated.

"You better answer it." Frankie said as she gets into her covers more.

"By the time I go down there, the ringing will stop." John said getting in his covers too.

"And if they call again?" Frankie asked.

"Then we'll just let it ring." John said. "Now, back to sleep."

Like John said, the ringing stopped. So they felt that they should go back to sleep. Except, like Frankie said, they were calling again. The phone was once again ringing.

"Johnny..." Frankie said calling out to her husband again.

"Baby, just let it ring." John said as he wraps his arms around Frankie.

"Fine." Frankie said. "By the way, speaking of baby, while we're up, shall we continue our discussion?"

John didn't look happy as he getting up.

"You know you can't keep using that as your excuse to let me do stuff." John said firmly.

"I'll use it as much as I want." Frankie said slyly.

"Fine. I'll get it." John said getting out of the bed and heading for the phone.

As John leaves his bedroom, he goes down the stairs to where the phone is to answer it. During the time, he had some thoughts going through his head.

"I swear, ever since our visit from the Hopps, it's been babies, babies, babies with Frankie. You want to know why WE don't have as much kids as them? It's not because their bunnies. It's because unlike them, I have self-control." John said to himself.

John made it to the phone and picked it up.

"Wilde residence." John said on the phone, waiting for a response. "Yes, this is him." "..." "Oh. It's you." John expression changed to a bit of an angry one. "Yeah, I remember you. Not everyday someone denies your pitch before you even tells them what it is. So... why are you calling me?" "..." "OH? So now you are interested? Don't think I don't know what it is. Sorry, but I doing fine. Now... if you excuse me, I'm got sleeping to..." The caller said some thing that made John change his expression to a surprised one. "What? You're willing to pay THAT much? No. Not interested." "..." "What? But that's... double the original loan." "..." "You're making it hard to say no. Alright. I'll think about it. Give me a couple of days and I'll give you an answer." "..." "Goodbye."

John then hanged up the phone. Now he was just in deep thoughts with the call he just had. Meanwhile, Nick had just left the bathroom.

"Okay Nick, no more juice before bed." Nick said to himself.

Nick went back upstairs to his room to go back to bed. But before he did, he was near his parent's room and notice that their lights were on and he could hear their voices.

"Huh? What are they talking about this late?" Nick thought.

Nick felt that he shouldn't eavesdrop, but he needed to know what was up. So he stay near the door and listen in on their conversation.

"They're offering double the original loan, Frankie. Double." John said.

"It's a lot of money. But are you really okay with this?" Frankie asked.

"I don't know. But with that much... I can finally open my dream. We can finally have truly better lives. We can finally give our boy the things he deserves." John said.

"Johnathan, I don't know how I feel about all this... but I'll support your choice." Frankie said being supportive.

"I know one thing for sure. Things might not be the same after my choice." John said.

Nick felt that he heard enough and slowly walked away from his parents' door and goes back to his room. As goes back to his bed and into his covers, he still had his parents conversations in his thoughts.

"What do they mean by all that? What did pop mean by "Things might not be the same."? I don't understand." Nick thought feeling sad and confused.

 **Who was John on the phone with? What gonna happen next? How will these gonna change the world of The Wildes? You will have to find out in the next chapter.**


	23. Chapter 21: Let's make a deal Part 1

**Chapter 21. So the last couple of chapters were some pretty happy chapters. You know what that means? Time to add some drama into the mix. And nothing says drama like a three-parter. For this chapter, after listening in our his parents' conversation, Nick feels that something is up. So he gets a few of his friends for some help. But... there's gonna be some tension in the group. There will be some focus points with Finnick and some with Mervin as well. Just read and see what happens. Staring chapter now.**

* * *

It was a Friday at Nick's house. For the past couple of days, Nick has been a bit tense. His parents have been acting very weird lately. It was mainly because it had something to do with the call they had a few nights back. Concern about this, Nick called an emergency meeting with all his friends. Judy and Gideon have just arrived from Bunnyburrow and Nick quickly brought them over to his house's basement. The three along with Benji and Finnick were waiting for the rest of the gang to show up. Nick look nervous as he walked back and forth.

"Come on. Where are they?" Nick said nervously.

"Nick, can you tell us what's going on? Why did you call us all here?" Judy asked.

"I'll explain as soon as everybody else gets here." Nick said to Judy.

"Judging by the way you are, this must be serious." Finnick said.

"Very." Nick stated.

"Well City Boy, I'll guess we'll take your word for it." Gideon said.

As Gideon says that, Audran and Ronnie, who was carrying Flash, made into the room.

"Nick, we're here, eh?" Audran said.

"We also brought Flash." Ronnie said.

"What's... the... problem, ... Nick?" Flash asked.

"I'll talk once everyone's here." Nick said to them.

About a minute later, Mervin, Falisha, and Gazelle all showed up.

"Hey Nick. We came as soon as you called us." Falisha said.

"What wrong?" Gazelle asked.

"Seriously? Is this meeting so important that it couldn't wait til tomorrow?" Mervin asked.

"Absolutely, 100%." Nick said firmly.

"Well this better be quick. Dinner's in a few minutes and if I don't make it back, there won't be any food left for me." Mervin said looking a bit worried.

"It will be quick. Just as soon as everyone gets here." Nick said.

"Where are the twins?" Ronnie asked noticing that Judy is here, but not them.

"They aren't here. Still at Bunnyburrow for this weekend." Judy stated.

"Then... isn't this everybody?" Mervin asked.

"Not quite. A few more people will be here too." Nick said to Mervin. He then looks up at his stairs and sees someone coming down the stairs. "Oh. Here they are now."

The others look up to see who it was. It's was five kids. But it wasn't just five kids. It's was the former Junior Ranger Scouts. Chuck the woodchuck, Darwin the hippo, Phillip the Zebra, Wilfred the deer, and Ed the widlebeest. Yeah. The same scouts that rejected and muzzled a few predators.

"Hey." Chuck said lightly waving.

Everyone one had... mixed feelings about them showing up. Some were surprised, some were confused, and some were angry. But out of everyone, Mervin seem to be the angriest one.

"What are THEY doing here?" Mervin said angrily.

"I called them here." Nick said. "I thought we could you their help."

"Please tell me you're joking?" Mervin said not to fond of the idea.

"Nick, you had a lot of good ideas, but this isn't one of them." Finnick said firmly.

"Come on. We already said that we were sorry to everyone and we finished our time cleaning up Mr. Wilde's shop for a month. How much more we got to do before we are off probation?" Chuck asked.

"You'll be on probation for as long as we say you are." Mervin said angrily.

"Mervin, calm down." Nick said to Mervin while holding him back.

While Mervin's anger was understandable, Gazelle was the only one confused by all this. This was her first time meeting these former scouts.

"Uhh... I... confused. Why Mervin so mad at other boys?" Gazelle asked Judy.

"These five were the former Junior Ranger Scouts that muzzled Nick and some of the others here." Judy said to Gazelle.

"They the scouts?" Gazelle asked looking shocked.

Judy and some of the others nodded their heads. After hearing that these five were the scouts, Gazelle walk toward the five of them.

"Jerks!" Gazelle shouted out.

Gazelle then slapped each of them in the right side of their faces.

"Owwww!" The five boys shouted while rubbing the spot that Gazelle slapped them.

"Probably deserved that." Phillip said still feeling the pain from the slap.

"Hahaha! Now **that** was funny." Mervin said laughing.

"Guys, can we focus now?" Nick asked everyone. Saying this got everyone's attenion. So everyone settled down and let Nick speak. "Alright, listen up. I called you all here today for a very important meeting. A few nights ago, after taking a quick trip to the restroom, I find out that my parents were still up and having a conversation."

"You eavesdrop on your parents again? I thought you weren't gonna do that anymore." Judy said to Nick.

"Can I finish, please?" Nick asked looking a bit irritated.

"Sorry. Go on." Judy said.

"Now, I didn't listen to the whole conversation. Just parts of it. Some of the stuff pop said was that things might not be the same after the choice he might make." Nick said.

"Choice he might make? What is that suppose to mean?" Gideon asked.

"Well... he also said something about... "They're offering double the original loan."." Nick said while scratching his chin.

"Loan? Is your family in debt again?" Finnick asked looking concern.

"No. No. I don't think it's that. It's something else. Pop mention 'offering'." Nick said. "After doing something hard thinking and putting the pieces together, I think I have a good guess. Pop has to be talking about one of the investment companies he and I went to."

"*gasp* Really?" Judy said surprised.

While Judy seem surprised, everyone else seem confused. Judy noticed and wanted to fill them in.

"Oh. That's right. You guys don't know." Judy said. "See originally, this place wasn't gonna be the store. Mr. Wilde wanted a bigger store, Suitopia."

"Sui... to... p... ia?" Flash said slowly.

"Uh huh. Mr. Wilde and Nick went to several companies in the city to get some to invest in the idea and built the store. But every company..." Judy said.

"... rejected them because they were foxes. That's it, right?" Finnick asked feeling that he already knew the reason.

"Yeah..." Judy said not like to admit it.

"I knew it. I KNEW it. Why is EVERYONE so against foxes?" Finnick shouted out angrily.

"After that, mom and pop just scrapped what they could to buy this place and to fix it up. As you guys already know, until recently, business was always slow. But now, things have been going very well." Nick stated.

"So now one of these companies wants to invest in your dad's idea, Suitopia. Is that right?" Falisha asked.

"Wait? So with the loan, your dad can finally open his dream store. That's great news." Darwin said happily.

"No. That's bad." Finnick stated. "I mean, it may SEEM like a good thing. But this was one of the companies that rejected him in the first place. So now that Mr. Wilde's shop is doing great, they realized that they were missing out on a good business deal."

"So what you're saying is that these guys now want a slice of the pie." Gideon said.

"Exactly." Finnick said. "It's like being picked last one day, then being picked first after people found out you were good. They probably want to use Mr. Wilde as a stepping stool. No pun intending."

"I think you are getting a little ahead of things, Finnick." Falisha said.

"No. I think Finnick's right. I think one of the companies want to take advantage of his success." Nick said looking concern. "I mean, sure. I still want pop to actually have Suitopia be a reality one day, but...I don't know how I should feel about this whole thing."

"Do you at least know the name of the company that wants your dad?" Judy asked.

"Not sure. Pop and I went to nearly every company in the whole city to try to get someone to fund Suitopia. That was like 2 years ago. I can't remember the names of any of them or which one wants pop now." Nick said trying to pondered.

"So... what do you want us to do?" Benji asked.

"Ummm... Can I say something?" Chuck asked.

"You're not titled for an opinion." Mervin said sounding mad.

"Mervin, let Chuck speak." Nick said to Mervin. "Jeez, what's with you today?"

For some reason, it seem like Mervin was holding a big grudge with Chuck and the others. Mervin didn't say it, but he was very much showing it. After Mervin calmed down, Chuck spoke out.

"Even if we did something about it, it's not our choice to make. It's Mr. Wildes's." Chuck said. "With that said, what does Mr. Wilde care about most? His fox pride or his family?"

Everyone turned to Nick for the answer. Nick response was gritting his teeth and cinching his fist.

"Tch! This is **my** dad we are talking about. His pride can be stomped on and down in the mud, but... as long as he can support mom and I... that's the only thing that matters." Nick said knowing how his dad is. " But even so, I still want pop to make the right choice. So I want us all to do some recon. Find out which company it is and their intentions with my dad's store."

"Sounds good. I'm in." Judy said.

"All of us are." Benji said wanting to help too.

"Yeah. Anything for your old man." Finnick said willing to help as well.

So it seems that everyone was all for doing some recon with Nick. This also included Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed.

"We're help too." Chuck said.

"Yeah." Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed said nodding.

"No way." Mervin said firmly.

"What? Why?" The boys asked.

"For all we know, you're just gonna cause trouble again." Mervin said looking mad.

"Excuse me?" Wilfred said getting mad and walking toward Mervin. "We HELPED Mr. Wilde get customers the last time. So why would we want to cause more trouble?"

"You sure you didn't just helped Nick's dad cause you were afraid after he found out what you did to his son, that he and Mrs. Wilde would have a reason to **eat** you?" Mervin stated.

"MERVIN!" Some of the others shouted out thinking that he was going too far.

Nick had enough of Mervin's outbursts. Nick walked to Mervin and grabbed his arm.

"Mervin, can I talk to you? UPSTAIRS?" Nick said sounding serious.

Nick then took Mervin upstairs to talk about Mervin certain behavior around the scouts. As the two of them went up, everyone else just had to wait for them. Finnick glared at the former scouts very angrily. Chuck was starting to feel concern.

"Uhh... did we do anything bad to you?" Chuck asked Finnick.

"No. But let's put it this way. If you **had** put a muzzle on me, you would all be in the **hospital**." Finnick stated with an angry glare.

With Finnick's threat said, the five boys took a few steps back. Finnick may be small, but he was tough and scary when he could be. Meanwhile, Nick and Mervin were having their conversation in the hallway.

"What's with you, dude?" Nick asked Mervin.

"I am NOT okay with this. Why do those 5 have to get involved?" Mervin asked Nick.

"They want to help. The least we can do is let them." Nick said to Mervin.

"But why them?" Mervin asked. "Maybe you forgot, but they muzzled one too many predators AND we were two of their victims. Do you really forgive them for what they did to you? What they did to me? To Ronnie? To Ben?"

"Don't you think I know all of this? Of course I don't forgive them for all that." Nick stated firmly. "I'm still trying to keep myself from ripping them apart. But... we have to do our best to be the bigger mammals."

"Compare to most of them, we're not even that." Mervin said. "Nick, we can't trust them."

"I'm not asking you to trust them. But can you trust me?" Nick asked.

Did Mervin trusted Nick? That was something that he was thought about for a while now. Mervin started recalling the day he first became friends with Nick. It was the middle of a school day. While walking down the halls with a boy goat and a boy lynx, he stopped when he notice a flyer on the wall.

"Huh? What's this?" Mervin asked himself as he reads the flyer. " _Want to be a part of a true pack? No matter prey nor predator? Join Nick and Judy's Zoo-Burrow Scouts. We always see the good in others. Not for what they are, but who they are._ Huh."

"That's from that fox kid." The goat said. "Apparently, he wants some kids to join a pack of his own."

"Not that anyone really wants to join it. You know, since he's a fox." The lynx said.

"I don't know. It sounds like he means well to me." Mervin said. Mervin then looked down the hall and noticed five other kids. It was Chuck and the others. Mervin wasn't too fond about seeing them and tried to cover his face with his hood on. "Aw man! Not those five. I can't deal with them."

"This again? Seriously, what's you beef with those guys?" The lynx asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Mervin said sounding a bit mad. "I just want those guys to stay away from me."

"Well... all they're doing is the **walk of shame**." The goat said.

"Huh?" Mervin said as he looks that them.

Walk of shame was the best way to describe it. Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed were all walking with their head looking down on the ground and feeling depressed. The five of them didn't say anything. They just kept walking forward. Mervin was a bit confused of their behavior.

"Man, **walk of shame** is right. What happen to them?" Mervin asked taking off his hood.

"You know that Nick kid? There is some talk that he and some bunny girl scared the five of them big time." The lynx said.

"Really?" Mervin said looking surprised.

"Yeah. Don't know what he did to them, but it must have gotten them good." The lynx said.

Mervin started to get lost in his thoughts.

"Nick... scared the five of them? Was it... because they pull them same thing they did to me?" Mervin thought. "Did he... get back at them for everything that they done? He's a fox. People say foxes can't be trusted. Yet... I don't think Nick actually does anything wrong. And even if he did to something to those jerks of pack 914, they derserved it."

"Well whatever he did to those 5, it goes to show you that you can't trust a fox." The goat said shrugging.

"Excuse me?" Mervin said not looking too happy about that.

"You know, foxes are sneaky and can't be trusted." The goat said.

"Now wait just a minute." Mervin said starting to get mad. "If anyone hit the points of sneaky and untrustworthy, it's those five. We shouldn't be saying that Nick's untrustworthy because he's a fox."

"Woah! Woah! Easy, dude." The lynx said.

Mervin then started thinking deep about this whole thing.

"Now that I think about it, thinking all foxes are sneaky... is pretty stupid." Mervin said realizing it. Mervin then started to walk off.

"Where are you going?" The lynx asked.

"To talk to Nick." Mervin answered as he stopped walking.

"You're not considering to be friends with him?" The goat asked.

"I might. I mean, why not? He sounds nice enough." Mervin told them.

Mervin then started walking again, but stopped when the goat said something.

"If you become friends with him, don't expect to be friends with us anymore." The goat said in a serious tone.

"Yeah. Don't be surprised if you get shunned by everyone else." The lynx said.

Mervin started to feeling angry with the two. He then glared at them.

"If that's how you really feel OR what you really think, then you guys aren't such good friends after all." Mervin said firmly. "And I rather be friends with Nick than you two."

Mervin then walks away from the two. He hated that they were so simple-minded and think that Nick was such a bad kid. Even if he really wasn't. So Mervin decided to be more open-minded and meet up with Nick.

It was lunchtime at the cafeteria now. Mervin just got his tray of food and was looking around to see if he could find Nick. After a few seconds of looking, the spotted hyena was able to find the little fox sitting on a table by himself eating his lunch.

"There he is." Mervin thought. Mervin then approach Nick to talk to him. "Hey."

"Huh?" Nick said looking at Mervin. "Oh. Hey."

"You're... Nick, right?" Mervin asked.

"Yeah. That's what they call me." Nick said. "Umm... you're... I want to say... Merlin? Melvin?"

"Close. Mervin." Mervin said.

"Right. Sorry." Nick said sorry for getting his name wrong.

"It's okay." Mervin said. "Say Nick, you don't really have much friends here in school, do you?"

While Nick didn't want to admit it, he knew he had to stay truthful.

"No. Not really." Nick said with his ears drooping a bit.

"Well then..." Mervin said before putting his tray down on the table and sitting down on the chair next to Nick. "... let's see if we could that." Mervin then smiled at Nick.

Nick was suprised to hear that someone actually wanted to be his friend. So you can tell he felt really happy about with this by the smile on his face.

"Mervin Howlino." Mervin said giving Nick his first and last name and offering his paw to shake.

"Nick Wilde." Nick said giving his first and last name and shaking Mervin's paw.

"Good. Now we're friends. One thing you should know about me Nick is that I LOVE to laugh." Mervin said.

"Really? Well I just happen to be quite funny." Nick said boasting a bit.

"Is that so? Okay then. Tell me a joke." Mervin said crossing his arm and smirking.

Nick smirked back and decided to tell the eager hyena a joke.

"Why did the sloth throw his clock out the window?" Nick asked.

"I don't know. Why did he?" Mervin asked waiting for the punchline.

"I don't know either. He still hasn't actually throwed it yet." Nick said.

After that moment, Mervin burst into laughter. He laughed loud enough for most of the other kids in the cafeteria to hear him. Nick was a bit surprise to hear Mervin laugh so much. Sure, he was a hyena, but it wasn't THAT funny of a joke. After a few seconds, Merving started to quiet down.

"Woo! I get it. Cause sloths are slow and it takes them almost forever to do things." Mervin said getting the joke. "That... haha... was pretty funny."

"Glad... that you like the joke." Nick said happily.

"I did. Haha. I think the two of us are gonna get along juuuuust fine." Mervin said to Nick with a smile.

So that's how Nick and Mervin becames friends. This ends the little flashback. Mervin thought about it and knew that Nick was his friend and that he was a good and trustworthy person like everyone else did.

"I don't trust them, Nick. But I do trust you." Mervin said to Nick. "Alright. If they want to help, then I suppose it's okay."

"Great. I knew you could see things my way." Nick said happy that Mervin trusted him.

"However, I'm gonna be keeping my eyes on all of them. If they do anything bad, ANYTHING AT ALL, you have to kick them out of the group for good. No probation. No friendship. We cut them out of our lives completely. Got it?" Mervin said firmly.

"A bit cold, but it's not like they weren't on a short lease already. Alright. Deal." Nick said agreeing to Mervin's term.

"Okay then. Let's go back down with the others." Mervin said.

"Back down to the basement. Even if Chuck and the others did something, I'm sure that some _bunny_ kept an eye on them." Nick said referring to Judy in a bit of a joke. "Huh? Huh?"

"... Let's just go back down." Mervin said looking unamused and walking down the stairs. Nick was a bit surprised by this.

"Mervin didn't laugh at my joke. He always laugh at my jokes." Nick thought looking a bit worried.

Not trying to think too much about it, Nick also walked back down the stairs and to the basement where everyone was waiting.

"Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, Ed, you can help us. So long as you do what we ask and not to cause trouble." Nick said.

"We will. Promise." The five boys said.

"We'll be sure to hold you to that." Mervin said crossing his arms.

"Okay. I'm gonna try to find out which company wants to invest with pop's store. We all meet up here again tomorrow and figure out what to do then." Nick told everyone. "Also, no uniforms tomorrow."

"Okay." Judy said.

"Alright. You guys can all go home now. See ya tomorrow." Nick said.

"See... you... later..., Nick." Flash said slowly.

Everyone, except Nick, Judy, Benji, Finnick, and Gideon made their way out. Mervin was first near the stairs but then he halted when Chuck and the four were behind him. So he moved away from the stairs as he glares at them.

"What now?" Chuck asked.

"You five go first. I'm not turning back on you." Mervin said still sounding mad.

"Okay. Okay." Chuck said not wanting any trouble.

Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed walked up the stairs and left the basement. Before Mervin went up, Ronnie went to him to say something.

"Merv, can you try to take it easy and lower that anger of yours?" Ronnie asked.

"Oh believe me. I AM trying." Mervin said not sounding like his anger was lowered. He then stomped as he walks up the stairs.

"Doesn't sound like trying to me." Falisha stated.

The others then all left the basement. Now only Nick, Judy, Finnick, Benji, and Gideon were there. Most of them were feeling very concern about Mervin's behavior.

"Is it just me or is Mervin **madder** at those guys than you were?" Judy asked Nick looking concern.

"You're noticing that too?" Gideon asked.

"Well like Nick and I, he was also muzzled by those guys." Benji stated. "Maybe he's still not over it."

"Who would be? Those punks did something very wrong. Even I don't like being near one." Finnick said.

"Look, if they do something bad, I agreed with Mervin to kick them out for good." Nick said to them.

"Well... I guess that works for me." Finnick said.

"Me too." Benji said. "It's not like I forgive them for what they did to me either."

"Still... something is up with Mervin. I made a joke earlier and he didn't even laugh." Nick said.

"Nick, hate to break it to you, but not all your jokes are funny." Judy said.

"Carrots, Mervin has always laughed at my jokes. ALWAYS!" Nick said seriously. "Something is definitely wrong with him. Something **deep**."

"Hmmm... maybe you're right." Judy said scratching her chin a bit.

"Well, let's hope he feels better tomorrow. Alright, I'm heading home. See ya here tomorrow." Finnick said.

"Yeah. See ya, guys!" Benji said waving goodbye.

So Benji and Finnick now left the room.

"My family is staying at the motel again. But we don't have go back til later. Also, since it's a teacher's workday, there's no school on Monday. So we get to stay here an extra day." Judy said to Nick.

"And it's still fine if your parents let me sleepover here, right?" Gideon asked.

"Of course. Got the air mattress all ready for you at my room." Nick said.

"Great." Gideon said happily.

"Uhh... by the way..." Nick said. He was looking at Gideon and notice that he was wearing a sky blue flannel shirt and jeans. "... it's wear not seeing you in overalls."

"Hey! I don't ALWAYS wear overalls." Gideon said sounding peeved.

"You have for most of the time I've known ya." Nick said with a smirk.

"Same here." Judy said also smirking.

"Fine. Make your jokes." Gideon said looking pouty

"Already writing them." Nick said slyly.

Meanwhile, Nick and Judy's parents were upstairs by table having an important conversation. On the table were some documents and paperwork that John received recently. Like Nick guess, it was from one of the companies that wants to fund Suitopia. John was showing Stu and Bonnie some of the paperwork to get their advice on what they should do. Stu was reading some of the papers that John wanted him to look at.

"Wow. Just... wow." Stu said. "Everything I'm reading here seem legit. They're really offering you a huge deal, John."

"Still... I feel that the money they are offering you is a little much for a store." Bonnie said.

"Actually... half of the money is for the store. The other half is interest if I say yes." John stated to the bunnies.

Hearing John say that made both Stu and Bonnie eyes widen in total surprise.

"Sweet cheese and crackers!" Stu said still holding the papers. "So... are you gonna accept their offer?"

"I might. I'm considering it." John admitted. He then got out of his chair. "But still... this was one of the companies that rejected my idea a few years ago. Now they're calling me out of nowhere just to make a deal **when** things are finally going well at my store? It's pretty obvious that the only reason why they are calling now is because they realized that they screwed up."

"Even so, do you really want to say no?" Stu asked.

"You don't get it." John said sounding serious. "Lupuscis INC... was different from the other companies."

"Different how?" Bonnie asked.

"Johnny, you don't have to tell them." Frankie said looking worried.

"I kinda have to. It's the only way they could understand." John said to Frankie. John then sat back down on his chair as he looks at both Stu and Bonnie. "When Nick and I went to Lupuscis INC., it was no surprise that it would have be another reject. But this one was different. They took **one look** at us and pushed us out the door. They didn't even hear what our pitch was. They just saw foxes and thought "It's not a good idea to do business with foxes." *sigh* They made me feel lower than I ever had felt that day. That's something I can't forget. Would you be okay with making a deal with someone that treated you like trash?"

The room went quite for a few seconds. Stu and Bonnie already knew that the Wildes had things rough a few times. Heck, they knew that almost all foxes had it rough. But that didn't mean they didn't felt foxes should at least be treated fair just like everyone else.

"When you put it that way, I think your choice is clear." Bonnie said.

"Yeah. You can NOT get an investment with a company like that. It goes against all your ethnics, Johnny." Stu said.

"I know. I know. But... this could be the last chance I get to form my dream store." John told them. "Not only that, we could really use the money." John clinched his fist under the table. "I... don't want my family to keep living on the bottom anymore."

"Johnny..." Frankie said worried for her husband.

"I have til Sunday to decide." John said. "I'll come up with my choice by then."

So John still had two days before coming up with his decision. Will he stick with his ethnics or will he take the deal none the less? That was the real question. At that moment, Nick popped into the room.

"Mom?" Nick said looking at his mother.

"Oh. What is it, sweetie?" Frankie asked.

"The others and I are getting hungry and we wanted to know when dinner's ready." Nick said.

"Oh. Right. Dinner won't be ready for another couple of minutes. Just be patient." Frankie said.

"Okay." Nick said before leaving the room.

"Guess I better work on dinner." Frankie said getting up.

"I'll help you, Frankie." Bonnie said getting up, but having some trouble due to her pregnant state. Frankie offered to help her up. "Thanks!"

"No problem." Frankie said to Bonnie with a smile.

So the two mothers walked to the kitchen to start working on dinner. This leaves to two dads alone.

"John, we do what we can for our family." Stu said.

"Right." John said nodding.

Two both John and Stu, family was the most important thing to them. So whatever choice John wanted to make, his wife and his son came first. As Nick walked back to rejoin Judy, Gideon, and a few of Judy's siblings, he happen to once again eavesdrop on the parents' conversation. He didn't hear everything, but he heard what he needed to.

"Lupuscis INC. I remember now." Nick thought looking a bit conflicted.

On the next day, Nick, Judy, and everyone else, all met up at the basement again. Now that Nick knew the name of the company, he had to tell everyone else.

"Guys, I finally got the name of the company that wants to invest with pop's shop." Nick said to everyone. "It's called... Lupuscis INC."

"Lupuscis INC.?" Benji said looking puzzled.

Most of the kids look like they didn't know about the company. A certain zebra however, Phillip, seem to reacted a bit when he heard the name. Mervin was still keep an eye on him and the others and noticed.

"Hey Phillip. You reacted. What's the deal?" Mervin asked raising an eyebrow.

"Uhhhh..." Phillip said.

"Wait? Do you know something about them?" Falisha asked.

"Well..." Phillip said rubbing his arm a bit.

"So you do know something." Finnick said.

"Alright Stripes, out with it." Mervin said crossing his arms.

"Okay. Okay." Phillip said willing to talk. "I do know about Lupuscis INC. My dad use to work there... before the head CEO fired him. Lupusicis INC. use to be one of the biggest investment companies in all of of Zootopia."

"Use to? What happen?" Judy asked.

"A few bad business deals from what dad said." Phillip said shrugging. "Some of the deals they invested in didn't do so well and some of the deals they didn't make turned out to be big successes."

"Wait, if what you are saying is true..." Gideon said.

"If the head of Lupuscis INC. makes this deal with Mr. Wilde, then he might think that it would put his company back on the map." Phillip said.

"So they ARE using Mr. Wilde as a stepping stool." Finnick said feeling that he was right.

"Hold... on. Let's... not... get... ahead... of... ourselves." Flash said. "We... shouldn't... jump... to... conclusions... so... soon."

"While it does sound like Finnick could be right, Flash, you're also right about not jumping to conclusions." Nick said. "Phillip, you said the boss fired your dad, right? Judging by that, he must not be a 'nice' boss. But do you know what's he like?"

"Well... you got the 'not nice' part right. The guy's name is Alexander Lupuscis. I only met him once, but he was quite a serious-looking guy." Phillip said.

"I'm gonna take a shot at the dark and assume that this Lupuscis guy is an..." Finnick said.

"Okay. The CEO's an grey wolf. He's a predator." Phillip admitted.

"A **predator** , huh? So since this **predator** fired your pops and you just assume that all preds were bad." Finnick said crossing his arms.

"No. That's not..." Phillip trying to say that wasn't the case.

"Exactly right? I believe it is." Mervin said firmly.

"Look, sure we all had some **negative** feelings about predators. But that's because each of us had some rough experiences with them." Chuck told them.

"That's no excuse." Finnick and Mervin said.

Ronnie lifted up both Finnick and Mervin from the ground and moved them another spot in the room.

"Both of you need to take it easy." Ronnie said to them.

"Tch!" Finnick said still looking angry.

"Hmpt!" Mervin said looking away from everyone.

"First Mervin, now Finnick?" Nick thought.

"So... what we do now?" Gazelle asked.

"Well... now that we know the which company it is, we need to go check it out and get some more info on it." Nick said.

"How? We can't just walk up to the front door and ask to see the boss." Judy said.

"That's exactly what we are gonna do." Nick said with an index finger up.

"What? Seriously?" Finnick asked.

"Nick, you got guts, but I don't think they are gonna let a whole bunch of kids come to see the _Head Honcho_ cause they asked to." Ronnie stated.

"Ahh. That's where you're wrong. Since I'm the son of the guy the _Head Honcho_ is trying to make a deal with, I'm sure he'll take time off his busy schedule to talk to me. He wouldn't risk business with my dad if he knows that I'm his son."

"Hmm. That makes sense." Benji said.

"It's better than nothing." Finnick said shrugging.

"Phillip, do you know where Lupuscis INC. is?" Nick asked.

"It's at the west of Savanna Central." Phllip said.

"If we take the subway, we can get there in 40 minutes. But we'll have to halt it if we want to catch the earliest train." Finnick stated.

"Then we better hurry." Nick said. "Let's move."

"Right!" Everyone else said nodding.

So everyone left the basement to make their way to the Downtown subway. As they were about to leave the house, John approached them.

"Nick!" John said getting his attention.

"Pop? What's up?" Nick asked. "We're kinda busy with something."

"I know. It's just... when you get back, there's something important that your mother and I wanted to talk to you about." John said.

The kids all gave concerned looks at each other. They all assume that John wanted to talk to Nick about the big decision he has to make. While they already knew, they didn't want to say that they didn't want him to know that. So Nick tried to act natural.

"O... okay, pop." Nick said. "See ya later."

With that said, all the kids left the house to head to the subway. In Zootopia, there are many ways to get to certain places all over the city. People who don't have their own cars, use other forms of transportation. Cabs, buses, and trains are some of them. Some trains are on the upper parts of town and some trains are beneath the city. The subway. The group went down and paid for their tokens to ride the train. They all got in and now waited for them to reach their destination. Not that much other mammals were on the train. They all just sat down quietly for a while. To break the silence, Nick finally said something.

"I remember now." Nick said with his head down.

"Remember what?" Judy asked.

"I remember the day we went to Lupuscis INC. It... was a day I rather still forget." Nick said grabbing his left arm.

"So... you have been there before? What happened?" Benji asked.

"It was a few years ago. Pop and I were doing our usually thing. Looking for people to fund Suitopia so he could open his big store. After failing with a few of the companies we went to, we tried Lupuscis INC. as the next place." Nick said. "Pop was still trying to be positive and still hopeful. We did the usual thing. We set up a meeting to talk to head about our pitch for Suitopia. Seem simple enough. But..." Nick started to look sadder. "... the second they saw that we were a pair of foxes, they turned us down."

"What?" Everyone else said surprised.

"Are you really that surprised? It's seem that everywhere we go, we continued to get judge as foxes." Nick said feeling upset. "We didn't even expect to get a yes, yet... this one was different. It... it hurt my pop quite a bit. It... was the only time I saw my dad cried real tears of sadness."

Everyone else started feeling sad too. They always saw John Wilde as happy-go-lucky person who always stay positive and looks on the bright side. To hear that he actually cried, it's not really something to expect.

"I never saw that side of my dad before. I never saw him so... defeated." Nick said grabbing his arm tighter.

"Take it easy, Nick. You don't want to lose that arm, eh?" Audren said thinking he was gripping to tight.

"Sorry." Nick said letting go of his arm. "It's just that I hated seeing pop like that."

"Sounds like you really love your pa, City Boy." Gideon said.

"Of course I do. He and mom always gave me more love than I needed. Even when they felt that it wasn't enough." Nick admitted.

"Nick, your dad told me before he was a tailor, he use to work for City Hall." Judy stated.

"Yeah. He did." Nick said.

"Wait, what?" Finnick said surprised.

"It wasn't like he was running for mayor or anything. He only did frontdesk work. Well... **back** frontdesk work. They didn't want a fox at front." Nick said.

"Of course." Finnick said not surprised.

"I was still just a little kid back then. Only 4. I do remember him always working so I barely got to him see. Then when he came home from work, he was super tired. But even when he was tried, he always had the energy to play with me. It was like he didn't care he was drained. He was wanted to make me happy. Which I guess made him happy too." Nick said with a light smile. "So the day pop quit working for city hall, he tried to tell me in a positive way. He said " _Good news, Nicky. Daddy doesn't have to work for a while. So now you and I play all day and whenever we want._ " I thought that was good news being only four. I mean, why wouldn't I love to see more of my dad? But a few years later, pop told me why he quit. That's when I started seeing that us foxes were treated differently. It didn't matter how honest we were. It's like we were cursed to be treated unfairly."

"Oh Nick." Judy said reaching for his paw and then holding it.

"It always bother me that other mammals judged me for what I am. But not my dad. Pop always stayed true to himself and kept his honesty. No matter who thought he wasn't. I was proud to have someone like that as my father. It made me want to be just like him." Nick said smiling. "But..." Nick started frowning. "Even if pop is my dad, even if I have some of his looks, his sense and humor, and his love for blueberries, the truth is... I'm not my dad." Nick then started to grab his arm again. "I'm not... strong willed like him. I can deal with the pressure that he had to deal with on a daily basic. I was about to give up I just stick with being the fox everyone thought I was. If that had happen then... I don't think could face my parents again." Nick gripped his arm tighter again.

"Arm, Nick." Ronnie said.

"Sorry... again." Nick said letting go of his arm again. Then he let go of Judy's paw.

"Nick, you may have it rough, but it's not your fault." Judy said.

"Yeah. It's guys like them". Mervin said mad as he points at Chuck and the boys.

"Us?" Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed said looking frail.

"Yeah, you. And I'm not just fingers. You guys were the last straw and Nick's spirit was completely crushed because of you." Mervin stated. "He would have still be that way if it wasn't for Judy and friends like us."

"We... already said that we were sorry for what we did." Wilfred said to Mervin.

"Oh yeah. You apologize right after muzzling a perfectly innocent fox. Bravo. All your parents must be soooo proud." Mervin said sarcastically and slowly clapping.

The five boys were silent for a moment.

"We... haven't been on 'speaking terms' with our parents in a while." Darwin said sadly.

This surprised everyone else a bit. They didn't expect to hear that these guys were having it bad with their own parents. Mervin didn't seem to care all that much.

"Well what did you expect?" Mervin asked. " What you did was seriously wrong and..."

"Merv, I think you said enough." Finnick said. "Allow **me** to finish up for you."

Mervin stopped talking and let Finnick finish. Finnick got out of his seat and walked to the former scouts. He looked pretty mad with them.

"What did you expect? What you did was seriously wrong and messed up." Finnick said angrily. "It's not like every predator is all rainbows-n-lollipops, but NOBODY needs to be treated like the way you treat them. Not Nick, not any of us here and ESPECIALLY not someone like Mr. Wilde."

Finnick was always know to be an angry little fennec fox. But this time, it was different.

"Wow, Finnick. This is... different from your usual... you-ness." Judy stated.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Finnick asked.

"Well... it's just that... since you're into money so much, we thought you would be with this whole investment thing." Judy stated.

"Hey. I'm into money because unlike your family, I don't have much of it. My folks and I have to scrap everything we can just to get by." Finnick stated. "But this whole thing, it's not about money. It's about respect."

"Respect?" Some of the kids said.

"Yes. Money doesn't mean a thing if you don't have the respect from it." Finnick stated. "You're either born with money or work hard for it. The mammals that work hard for the money they make are the ones that should be respected the most. The reason why is because it doesn't matter if you're big as a giraffe or small as a mouse. If others know that you work from the bottom and made it to the top, you earn their respect cause you worked your paws to the bone."

"Huh. I think I get want you mean." Nick said.

"One good example of this, is an arctic shrew who's this big boss in Tundratown. Everyone calls him Mr. Big." Finnick said.

A few of the kids were surprised when they heard that name.

"Ohhhhh. Mr. Big. We met him." Nick said recalling meeting him before.

"I'm sorry, what?" Finnick said looking at Nick a bit surprised.

"We met Mr. Big before. He was at our shop the day we were selling the pawpsicles. Everyone else, besides Gazelle, was there when we met him. Right, guys?"

Everyone else nodded their head.

"So... you're serious?" Finnick asked Nick still looking stunned.

"Yeah. He came into the shop to buy a few of my dad's suits for him and his polar bear bodyguards." Nick said.

"Afterwords, he gave Nick's dad a HUGE stack of cash." Benji said.

"How huge are we talking?" Finnick asked looking very curious.

"The stack alone was enough to pay off all our house bills." Nick said.

"He must have given your pops that cash cause he respected him. He wouldn't pay him that much if he didn't." Finnick stated. "No surprise there. Your old man is pretty respectable."

"You really think that, Finn?" Nick asked.

"Of course. Out of all the mammals in this black and white city, Mr. Wilde is the only grownup I truly respect." Finnick said sitting at a spot near Nick. "I like that he's honest AND a fox out of all mammals. To most mammals, that's pretty rare. So Nick, you're really lucky to have someone like that."

"Thanks... Finnick." Nick said to Finnick smiling.

Finnick started to have some deep feeling that he needed to talk to someone about. Finnick was never the type to get sentimental around others. But he also wasn't the kind of person who had many friends. But he had friends now. So if he wanted to talk to someone. It was these guys.

"Say, I... usually don't do this. But... is it okay if I talk to you about some things?" Finnick asked.

"Sure, man." Nick said.

"Yeah. You can talk to us about anything." Benji stated.

"Alright then." Finnick said as he began to speak. "You want to know what's it like being a fennec fox? All the hate of being a fox... in a smaller package. Growing up, I always had to deal with problems on a daily basic. If I wasn't getting insulted for being a fox, I was insulted for being short. One day, my old man sat me down to talk about this. He said, "Son, since you're a fox, you will have a lot of problems with other mammals. Some will pick on you and think that you did something wrong, even if you did nothing at all. That's just how it is for us.". I didn't want to believe that he was right, but he was right. All the other kids looked at me as if I was this... this criminal... and I let them." Finnick started looking sadder. "I started to toughen up so I could at least stand up for myself. It's no surprise that I got into a lot a fights. Most of them I win, some... not so much. That was how it was for most days of my life."

Nobody knew how bad that Finnick had it. Except for Nick. Nick was the only one he talked about this stuff before.

"Then... I met Nick." Finnick said. "He was at the park, sitting on a swing looking both depressed and hopeless."

The way Finnick was describing Nick, it must have be **after** he was muzzled by the scouts.

"Another fox, like me, having hard times." Finnick said. "I went over to him to talk to him. He told me what happen to him. He told me what you five did to him." Finnick said glaring Chuck and the others. The five were feeling hurt from his angry stare. Finnick then looked away from them and back to everyone else. "I helped cheer him up and then we went to make some pawpsicles. He started to feel better about things. But he was still sad. Yet... even when it hurt him to be judged for being a fox, a small part of him still had hope inside. I thought sooner or later that it might go away, but I later find out I was wrong." Finnick continue speaking. "A week after, Nick was like a completely different fox. He was full of hope and... happiness. I was surprised by this, so I talk to him again. He told me he wasn't ready to give up on the world and he was gonna work harder to make things better. He said it was because of a bunny girl he became friends with. I didn't really believe him at first." Finnick then looks at Judy. "That is... until I met her." Finnick smiled a bit at Judy. Judy did the same. "I couldn't believe this was the same fox from a week ago. A fox that wants to be more than who he is. Someone like that... just want to make me do more with myself too, y'know?" Finnick said scratching the back of his head a bit. "Nick then took me to his house to meet his parents. I not gonna lie, I was a bit nervous. Even fox parents have a certain view of me. But not Nick's parents. Nick told them I was his friend and his mom was so... warm and welcoming. She was just happy that I was Nick's friends. It seem like it didn't matter that I got into trouble a lot. She asked me if I wanted to stay for lunch and I said yes. I'm not one to say no to free food. Later, I met Nick's dad and like Mrs. Wilde, he was happy that I was Nick's friend too. I took one look at him and I can tell he was one of the most honest mammals I would ever meet. He had such a positive smile and seem to care a lot about his family. But... it didn't matter that he was a good man. Cause like Nick said, as long as we're foxes, we're cursed."

Finnick was really saying some really deep stuff. One of most surprised was Judy.

"Just when I think I have Finnick figured out, there's this new side of him I never seen before." Judy thought.

"But it's not just foxes. Several other predators get it bad too." Finnick stated. "Zootopia is suppose to be a city where prey and predators can get along. But how can we when prey can't even get along with us? Always thinking of the worst out of us when many are just as bad as them."

"We... had no idea predators had it so bad." Chuck said sadly.

"How would you know?" Finnick asked looking angry again. "Up until now, you were always on the prey side of things. Not even taking the time to know us predators and how we feel. You look at our chompers and you see a reason to carry a muzzle around. It doesn't matter if the city has 85% more prey mammals than predators mammals. You won't be happy unless it was 100%."

"We're sor..." Chuck and the others said before being halted by Finnick.

"Don't even bother. **I** wasn't one of your victims. So you own me nothing and I own you nothing." Finnick stated. "But know this, what you did was wrong. Evil in fact. How you five made it into the scouts still surprises me. So if you REALLY want to apologize, then start by help making this city what it's suppose to be. A utopia. So maybe, just maybe, us predators can start feeling better about ourselves."

Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed couldn't even think of a response to Finnick. But they knew that he was right. Predators have been given the short end of the stick and it was no different from them muzzling other kids.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Mervin said crossing his arms.

They all then hear the intercom from the top of the train cart make a ding and an announcement.

 _Attention passengers, we will be arriving at Savanna Central Station B in 1 minute._

"That's us. Let's all get ready." Finnick said to everyone else. "I said my peace."

"Right..." Nick said slowly nodding.

About one minute later, the train stopped at Savanna Central Station B and the group all got off it. Now they all followed Phillip lead to head to the Lupuscis INC. building. After a couple minutes of walking, they made it to the front of the Lupuscis INC. building. It looked like you would expect from a high paid business company. It was a pretty tall building and at least 15 stories in elephant height.

"This is the place. Lupuscis INC." Phillip said.

"Well... let's see if the same thing that happen last time still happens or not." Nick said.

With that said, everyone went inside. Seem like everyone in there was pretty busy with stuff walking in and out. On the front desk was an antelope women wearing a red business suit and glasses. Nick and the others walked over to her.

"Excuse, ma'am?" Nick asked from by the counter. The antelope looks at the group of kids and the little fox in front of them. "Do you know if Mr. Lupuscis is here and if we could speak with him?"

"May I ask who you are?" The antelope asked.

"I'm just a kid of a 'John Wilde'." Nick said. "I'm sure your boss has a meeting with my dad tomorrow. I just want to speak to him before then."

"And... you think Mr. Lupuscis has time to waste with a little kid?" The antelope asked looking at Nick with an unamused face.

"Just call your boss and mention the name Wilde, please?" Nick asked.

"Fine. But you're wasting your time." The antelope said as she picks up a phone and calls her boss.

Judy used her rabbit ears to hear the call better.

"Hello? Mr. Lupuscis? There a little fox boy here to see you. Says that he's Wilde's kid." The antelope said on the phone.

 _"What? Wilde? Okay, bring the kid up here to talk to me. We can't lose this deal with his father. So if we don't get him to finalize everything, it will be on your head. Understand?"_

"Y... yes sir." The antelope said frantically.

"Hmm. Sounds like Nick was right again." Judy thought after hearing everything.

"Mr. Lupuscis will see you now. He's on the top floor. Look for the door with his name." The antelope told Nick.

"Thank you." Nick said politely, yet smirking a little.

So Nick made his way to the elevator. The others followed, but was quickly stopped.

"Hold it. Mr. Lupuscis only wants to see the son." The antelope said.

"What? Come on." Judy said not sounding too happy about that.

"It's okay, Carrots. I can do this on my own." Nick said. "You and the others just wait here."

"Well... alright." Judy said listening to Nick.

"Yeah. We'll just wait here... being bored." Finnick said.

So with that, Nick went to the elevator and hit the bottom leading to the top floor to meet the big boss. The elevator had a window view so you could get a good view of the city. If it was a different circumstance, he would enjoy the view. The elevator dinged when it arrived at the top floor and open it's door. Nick walked out and began looking for the main office of Lupuscis. He found the office door that had a tag that said "Alexander Lupuscis, CEO".

"This must be it." Nick said to himself. He then knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Come in." A voice from inside the room said.

Nick slowly opens the door and enters the office. It was a big and fancy looking office with fine carpeting, wood walls, a little bar with juice and wines, and lastly, a big wooden desk where two rolling chairs. One in front of the desk and one behind the desk. The spot where the boss would usually sit. Standing by the window, outlooking the city landscapes was a tall grey wolf wearing a black suit and red tie. His ears were red and his muzzle was white. He then turned around to face Nick.

"Ahh. So, you must be the son of 'Wilde and Son'?" The wolf asked.

"And you must be the head honcho of Lupuscis INC. Mr. Alexander Lupuscis." Nick said.

"That I am." The wolf said with a smile. "Come. Have a seat. Let's talk."

 **So Nick encounters with Alexander Lupuscis. What are the things the two are going to talk about? Well... this is why it's a 3-parter. You have to well tell next time. Stay tuned for part 2.**


	24. Chapter 22: Let's make a deal Part 2

**Chapter 22 and part 2 of this 3-parter. The plot thickens and tension will grow. Last chapter, Nick and his friends head to the Lupuscis INC. building to meet the head CEO, Alexander Lupuscis. Alexander Lupuscis wants to invest in Nick's dad, John's Suitopia store and Nick wants to find out about his true intentions. Are they truly good? Let's find out. Also, this story has now hit 90,000 views. I can just feel that it's gonna be over 100,000 views real soon.**

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There the two of them were. Nick was sitting down on a chair in front of the desk of the Head CEO of Lupuscis INC., Alexander Lupuscis. Lupuscis was sitting down on his chair, looking at Nick with an interesting smile. Nick was a bit nervous facing the wolf. Nick also couldn't really get a good read on Lupuscis. He seem like what you would expect for a boss of a business. Serious, yet firm. Lupuscis got out a jar of candy and placed it on the desk. He then slid it down to Nick.

"Here. Have some." Lupuscis said trying to sound nice.

"My mom said not to take candy from strangers." Nick said to Lupuscis

"Did your mother also tell you not to go to a stranger's front door?" Lupuscis asked raising an eyebrow.

"Uhhhhhh..." Nick went.

"Haha! It's fine. It's not like it's poisonous or anything." Lupuscis said trying to lighten the mood. "Now... go ahead. Take one."

Nick decided to take a lollipop from the jar. He open the wrapper and put the lollipop into his mouth. It was strawberry flavor. It wasn't blueberry, but it was still okay.

"Good, right?" Lupuscis said still trying to sound nice.

"Yeah." Nick admitted while still sucking on his lollipop.

"Nicholas, right? So... what brings you here to my office?" Lupuscis asked.

"Well... I wanted to talk to you about a few things." Nick said to the wolf.

"Oh. How grown-up for someone of your age." Lupuscis said smiling. "What did you want to talk about?

"Uhh... recently you got in contact with my dad, right? I want to know what your intentions are with pop and his store. Nick said trying to sound serious.

"Is that all? It's quite simple, really. I want to invest in his store idea, Suitopia." Lupuscis said. "I think would be a good investment for my company."

The answer Lupuscis gave seem simple enough to believe. Yet it still felt that there was something Nick needed to get from him.

"That seems simple enough. But..." Nick said before looking straight at Lupuscis's eyes with a firm look. "A few years ago, pop and I went here for that very reason. But because we were foxes, you rejected us before we even went in to meet you. It was like you judge us before you even got to know us. So now you want to make an investment when our shop just happen to start picking up business. I don't think that's just a coincidence." Nick then crossed his arms.

"My. To suspect so much and at your age? You must be a pretty intelligent boy." Lupuscis said to Nick.

"I do pretty well to figure things out. I'm smart for my age." Nick said confidently and still crossing his arms.

Lupuscis got out of his chair and walk to his little wine bar. He picked up a glass and start pouring out some red wine for himself.

"While it's true that we may have rejected your father's idea in the past. The reason why is not the reason you think it is." Lupuscis said.

"Huh?" Nick said looking a bit surprised.

"Were you aware that you father had already given us his plans for Suitopia?" Lupuscis asked holding his glass of wine. "Believe it or not, I actually liked his idea and plans for the store. But the problem was your father."

"Because he's a fox?" Nick asked looking mad.

"No no. That wasn't the reason. The problem was what your father was lacking. Experience." Lupuscis said before taking a sip of his wine.

"Experience?" Nick said tilting his head in confusion.

"During the time, Johnathan had no experience in the tailoring business. He did no pass tailoring work or own any tailoring shops and expected everyone to support the idea? But how can we support his pitch when he, himself, isn't much a pitch to begin with?" Lupuscis stated to Nick. "In the business world, we all take our work seriously. It's a make or break world."

Nick never thought about things like that before. Lupuscis wasn't wrong. John was always working for City Hall and after he quit, he switch to doing tailoring. But even so, it wasn't like he was doing it that long.

"I... guess that makes sense." Nick said taking the lollipop out of his mouth.

"Of course it does." Lupuscis said as he walks back to his chair and takes another sip of wine. "I'm pretty sure that's the reason why other companies didn't given your father a loan. It wasn't because he was a fox. It was because he was lacking. He wanted to take a huge step before taking the first couple of steps. He was asking for too much too soon."

"Is that all true? Is that why every place we went to kept turning us down?" Nick thought deeply. While it did seem that Lupuscis could be right, Nick still had a few more concerns. "Okay, so let's say that was true. Why did you wait until now to contact him?"

"Well that's simple to answer. Like you said before, your father's little store now has business. Also, your father has made a name for himself now." Lupuscis said.

"Huh?" Nick said.

Lupuscis puts his glass of wine down on a coaster on his desk before speaking to Nick again.

"Nicholas, were you aware recently that your father's store was in an article on the newspaper?" Lupuscis asked.

"Pop did mention something about that a few weeks ago." Nick said lightly waving his lollipop and before putting it back in his mouth.

"Ah. So you do know." Lupuscis said. "I happen to read the article about Johnathan and his little store. It was really positive. They were saying how great and honest your father was. Some of the things they said were " _That John Wilde is quite the fellow." "Wilde has got to be the most honest fox there is." "John Wilde has a way with suits and a great smile to boot."._ It seems like everyone can only say good things about your father. Even with him being a fox." Lupuscis then went into his drawer and took out a folder. The folder was titled "Suitopia Plans". After reading that article, it jogged my memory that John Wilde came here for us to invest in the idea of a bigger store. Now that he has experience, I think it's a good time to invest in his idea."

"That's why you're calling my dad now?" Nick asked.

"He's worked hard and I respect that." Lupuscis said. "See this suit I'm wearing? It costs $300. Your father can make and sell a suit just like this for a fraction of that price and STILL do well."

Respect. One of the words that Finnick mention when he talked to Nick and the others. The most important thing for any partnership.

"But it's not just that. I want to do more than just fund his store. If things work out, then I want to invest in more than one location for Suitopia." Lupuscis said smiling. "Think about it. Suitopias in every district in the city. Sahara Square, Tundratown, the Rain Forest District, even Little Rodentia. Soon... everyone from every part of the city will go to stores for Johnathan Wilde's suits."

"That's... that's pop's biggest dream." Nick said softly.

"I can make that dream a reality. All I need is your father to say yes." Lupuscis said to Nick.

Nick was silent and deep within his thought for a moment. Nick actually believed nearly every word that Lupuscis said. He also knew that it wasn't like other investment companies were going to do the same for his dad. So... if there ever was a company to choose, it would be this one.

"I see." Nick said taking the lollipop out and smiling. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I think you help clear some things up."

"It was no problem at all." Lupuscis said picking up his glass of wine.

"I should get going now." Nick said hopping out of the chair.

"Very well then." Lupuscis said getting out of his chair as well. "You knew your way up, I assume you know how to get down.

Nick nodded. He walked to the door getting ready to leave the office. But before he did, Lupuscis, who was standing near his window holding his glass, said something.

"Things are going to change so much for you and your family, Nicholas." Lupuscis said as he looks at the city horizon.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Nick asked as he stopped walking to listen to Lupuscis.

"Once your father makes the deal with us, he won't be needing that danky little store of his." Lupuscis stated.

Nick's eyes widen as he heard Lupuscis say that.

"Did he just call pop's store... danky?" Nick thought.

"To be honest, I'm surprise he was able to make so much customers with that store." Lupuscis said. "Also, it's not exactly the neatest tailoring shop out there."

"The shop is also our home." Nick said sounding a bit serious.

"I know, but don't worry about that." Lupuscis said before sipping his wine. "Once the store's a hit, you can own a new and better home. A place that's not in the _down part_ of the city."

"Down part?" Nick said started to get angry, yet trying his best to hide it.

"I know that it's not your fault that you and your family have to live off the bottom and what you can scrape off from it. Soon, you won't have to worry about that. You can have everything you ever wanted and will be the most popular kid in your school. Soon others will beg to be your friend." Lupuscis said. " Doesn't that sound grand to you?"

While it sounded like Lupuscis was saying positive things, he was actually insulting Nick's family and their lifestyles. Nick was doing his best to keep quite about everything Lupuscis just say.

"Well it does sound like something." Nick said making a fake smile. "I'll keep all of that in mind. I need to get going."

"Be sure to talk to your father for me." Lupuscis said looking at Nick and smirking.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be sure that my pop makes the right choice." Nick said still making a fake smile as he opened the door.

Nick then left Lupuscis office and made his way to the elevator. He hit the elevator button and the elevator door open. He got into the elevator and rode it down. As he went down, he started grinding his teeth on his lollipop. Then... his rage started to peak and he took a big crunch that broke his lollipop into pieces. He growled and balled his fists.

"How dare he. HOW DARE HE!" Nick shouted out in anger. "Danky little shop? Live off the bottom? How dare he say any of that?!"

Clearly, Nick wasn't too happy with his talk with Lupuscis. As soon the elevator made it to the first floor, he stomped out of it in a fret as he walked to his friends. They were all still waiting at the lobby, sitting on some of the chair or just standing. Judy is the first to notice that Nick.

"Nick, you're back." Judy said.

"Let's get out of here." Nick said angrily.

"What happened?" Judy said looking concern why Nick was so mad.

"Let's go!" Nick said sounding even more angry.

Nick didn't feel like talking to anyone about what happened. He then left the building and the others quickly followed him. Nick was silent for the whole time. Even for the train ride back to Downtown. After they got out of the train, Nick said he would say everything that happen at his house. Once they made it back to the basement of Nick's house, he told him the stuff that Lupuscis said. They all now understand why Nick was angry. Most of them were now angry as well. The most was Judy, of course.

"HOW DARE HE?!" Judy shouted out. She then started to angrily pace herself around the room. "Who does he think he is insulting your dad's shop AND his lifestyle? Then talking like you can't make friends on your own."

"The worst part is that he almost got me too. I bet he just wanted to say things that I want to hear to persuade me." Nick said while biting one of his nails.

"If it isn't pretty obvious, your dad can NOT make a deal with this guy." Falisha stated.

" Sí. Lupuscis is bad. Mr. Wilde shouldn't deal with someone like him." Gazalle said.

"So we all agree. We should tell my dad." Nick said to everyone.

Nearly everyone agreed with Nick on John saying no to Lupuscis INC. investing in Suitopia. Even with the money they were offering, it wasn't worth John's dignity. However, a few of the kids didn't exactly agree with this. It was of course, Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed.

"Uhh... I don't know. Even with everything you just said, some of us still think your dad should make the deal with him." Ed suggested.

"WHAT?!" Some of the others shouted out.

"So you actually think that Mr. Wilde should be okay with working with that jerk?" Judy asked looking peeved.

"Look, we have to think about the bigger picture." Phillip said. "Lupuscis is offering Mr. Wilde the chance to open his store, Suitopia and a lot of money to go with it. This may be the **last** chance that your father gets. Are you really gonna be okay with that?"

"Hang on. Weren't you just telling us about him firing your dad and how much of a jerk he was earlier? How can you be okay with that?" Mervin asked looking peeved.

"We're just saying that we should think about all this." Darwin said. "Yes, Lupuscis said some mean things. But even so, do you really want him to pass this down?"

"So... maybe it's best if you just **forget** what Lupuscis said to you earlier." Wilfred said.

For some reason, the word 'forget' triggered something in Mervin's anger. Mervin started cringing his fist and gritting his fangs.

"Just forget? So... do you think it's also okay with Nick to just 'forget' about you muzzling him too?" Mervin asked sounding serious.

"Mervin!" Nick shouted out. "You are really doing this now? Again?"

It seems that Mervin was still very angry at the former scouts. Yet, it seem like they were mad at Mervin too. He has been blasting shots at them every chance he got. They about had enough of it.

"Okay, WHAT'S WITH YOU?" Chuck shouted out. "You been dogging us this whole time since yesterday. We get it. We screwed up. We did something horrible. But we have been trying to make up for it. The least you can do is let us."

Mervin head was down and started shaking in anger. It was like he was close to going feral.

"Do you even understand what you done to Nick? To Ben? ... To Me?" Mervin asked before putting his head up and glaring at Chuck. "CAUSE I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW. YOU DON'T. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE FEEL!"

"Mervin, ENOUGH!" Nick said holding Mervin back a bit from Chuck.

"NO! You got to say what you need to say to them, so why can't I?" Mervin asked Nick.

What Mervin said was true. Nick, Judy, and even Gideon and Benji got to say what they needed to at Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed. They never toke it thought that some of the others had stuff to say at them. Nick felt that he was gonna regret it, but he had to be fair and let Mervin talk.

"Alright." Nick said letting go Mervin.

Mervin then walked to Chuck and the others. He took a deep breath to try and calm down a bit before speaking to them.

"As stero-typical as it is, I am a hyena and I'm known to laugh about things. But you know what, I'm okay with it. Why? Because I **love** to laugh. Laughing makes me feel good. It makes me feel happy. I pretty sure that can be said for anyone." Mervin said happily. But then his happy expression went away. "But there's one thing I don't get." Mervin began looking angry again. "When I wanted to be a Junior Ranger Scout... when you tricked me and put that muzzle on... what did all do?" The boys started to quiver with what Mervin was about to say. "You... laughed."

Everyone was frozen with those words that came out of Mervin's muzzle. Laughter. The thing that Mervin loves more than anything. But when was muzzled by the boys when they were scouts, it was one of the worst moments he has ever experience. The same can be said for Nick. But for Mervin, it was a whole different reason.

"Now I know everyone has different taste..." Mervin said before glaring at Chuck and the others more. "... but what kind of sick sense of humor you all have to laugh about something like that? Did you **even** cared about how that made me felt? It made me felt like trash. It made me feel like something was wrong with me? It..." Mervin started to shed some tears. "It made me want to **stop** laughing."

Everyone's hearts ached when Mervin said that. For as long as everyone has known him, he was always this happy, laughing hyena. But for him wanting to stop laughing, it was quite a shocker. Mervin wiped the small tears from his eyes and continued.

"That was the worst I've felt in my whole life. Why would you think that predators would be so heartless that we would need to be muzzled? Would you have done the same to the other members of my family? My parents? My brothers? My baby sister who's barely grew in her fangs?" Mervin asked angrily.

"N... no! We wouldn't..." Chuck said looking frighten.

"Yet you thought it was okay to muzzle me and every other predator that tried to join you." Mervin stated. Mervin than started to calm down. "Now let me ask you all this. Would you laugh if you muzzle someone you know?"

"No." The boys said.

"Would you laugh if someone you were related to was muzzled?" Mervin asked next.

"No." The boys said again.

"Would you laugh if you were the one who was muzzled?" Mervin asked.

"... No." The boys said getting sadder and sadder.

"Then WHY?" Mervin shouted. "WHY WOULD YOU LAUGH AFTER MUZZLING SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T DESERVE IT? ANSWER ME! WHY?"

How would you answer a question like that? How can you answer a question about doing something so twisted? The boys could only answer with this.

"We... we don't know." The boys said with there heads down.

"You don't know?" Mervin asked trying to control himself. "You muzzled me and others, judged us for what we were, and laughed while doing it, and your answer is that you don't know?"

The five boys just nodded their heads.

"Right. I keep forgetting. The five of you don't know anything." Mervin stated. "The only reason why you feeling sorry now is because of Nick and Judy. They finally put sense into those brains of yours. If it wasn't for them, you would still be muzzling preds left and right without a care in the world. If you had come clean to your scoutmaster, you would still be soiling the name of the Junior Ranger Scouts." Mervin then walked closer to Chuck and glared at him with a very serious glare. "And you want to know something else? The only reason why we are having this conversation in the first place is because Nick chose to delete that recording. Cause if it was me, I would play it to the police, they would come over to you, and then put you into a juvie cell for all that you done. Then I would be the one laughing."

The boys started to shake more and more from Mervin's words.

"If karma hasn't took a big bite out of any of you yet, it will. And the fangs of karma can't be muzzled." Mervin said seriously.

As Mervin stepped back, it looked like he said his peace. Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed all started to break into fountains of tears. They couldn't say anything. They didn't know what to even say. They just ran to the stairs and got out of the basement.

"Wait!" Nick said wanted them not to leave.

But it was too late. They already left. It also looked like they were not coming back. Everyone stared at Mervin. They believe that he went too far.

"Well... I hope you are happy now." Falisha said to Mervin crossing her arms.

"Now that you got everything out, how do you feel now?" Gideon asked Mervin.

"Two things. Part of me feels like I finally got that weight of my shoulders." Mervin said.

"And the other part?" Nick asked.

"The other part of me... feels like a total slimeball and the worst hyena in all of Zootopia." Mervin said sadly with his head down. "And if this is even a fraction of what those guys are feeling, they must feel pretty horrible about themselves. I went too far."

Mervin then slowly walk to the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Nick asked looking concern.

"Home. I don't want to cause any more trouble then I already have." Mervin said as he walked up the stairs and leaves the room.

"Mervin!" Nick said not wanting him to leave. Finnick grabbed Nick's arm.

"Let him go, Nick. After that, I think he needs time alone." Finnick stated.

Nick didn't want to agree, but he knew that Finnick was right. Everyone just stood feeling awkward about everything that just happened.

"Falisha, you known Mervin for longer than any of us. Did you knew that he felt that way about Chuck and the others?" Nick asked Falisha.

"We were only classmates. We weren't really friends until this Zoo-Burrow Scouts thing." Falisha stated. "So I never would have guess."

"Even I didn't hate those guys that much." Ronnie said.

"I got him out of there before they could put the muzzle on him." Audren said. "Yet it wasn't like we were that hostel."

"To think that someone like Mervin had so much angry bottled up." Benji said sadly.

"I just hope he feels better soon." Nick said concern for the hyena.

At that moment, Nick parents, John and Frankie, came down the stairs into the basement.

"Nick, is everything alright? A few of your friends walked out earlier. They seem really upset." Frankie asked looking concern.

"There was a bit of a... misunderstanding. They need some time to cool off." Nick said to his mom while rubbing his arm.

"Well, if you say so." John said. "Anyway Nick, I think it's time we talk to you about what we mentioned earlier."

Nick and the others already assume it was about the deal with Lupuscis INC. Nick decided to come clean and tell them that he already knew.

"Is this about Lupuscis INC. and the deal they are offering you to help open your dream store?" Nick asked them.

It was no surprise that John and Frankie were surprised that Nick guessed that.

"So... you already know." John said.

"Pop, I'm your kid. I'm smart enough to put two and two together." Nick stated. "Pop, your not seriously thinking about taking their offer, are you?"

John just looked at Frankie and was silent.

"Pop?" Nick asked looking worried.

"Nick..." John said as he gets on his knees to be more at Nick's eye level. "... they are offering a lot of money to help opening my dream store."

"But pop... Lupuscis is a jerk. He only cares about using you. He insulted this store, our home, and he said we had to live off scraping up what we can." Nick stated.

"Nick, how would you know any of that?" John asked.

"I... uhh... we... went over to Lupuscis INC." Nick admitted to his parents.

"Nick, you're not suppose to go out on your own for something like that." Frankie said in her mom tone.

"We had to. I was worried how much this would effect us." Nick said to his mother. He then went back to looking at his dad. "Pop, you can't be okay with someone like that."

"Maybe I'm not, but son, we need to look at the bigger picture." John said while putting his paws on his shoulder. "This could be the last chance we get. If things work out, we won't have to live off the bottom anymore."

"What's wrong with that? We've been doing fine." Nick said with a bit of exclamation.

"But we deserve better. **You** deserve better." John said sincerely. "Everything I do, I do for you and your mother. I always felt I couldn't do enough because we were foxes and that the world would hardly accept us. But with this deal, I can finally give you all the things you want."

Nick knew that it was John's job as a dad and a husband to provide for him and his mother. But John is the one providing for his family, who's the one providing for him? As much as Nick loves his father, he didn't like that fact he always came first with his decisions. Nick started to quiver as he looks down on the grounds.

"Why? Why does it always have to be about me and mom?" Nick asked. He then look up at John looking a bit sad. "WHY CAN'T YOU THINK ABOUT YOURSELF FOR ONCE?! I wouldn't hate you if that's what you're worried about."

John's eye's widen when Nick said that. Nick was actually okay if John wanted to be think about himself. Even if it meant not providing for his family. Nick then dashed to the stairs and left to go up to his room.

"Nicholas!" John shouted out hoping his son would wait. But to no avail.

Now everyone in that room was depressed more than ever. This included Judy and all of their friends.

"Oh Nick..." Judy said with her ears dropping down.

"So... what do we do now?" Benji asked looking sad.

"I guess... we should all just go to our houses." Finnick said looking said as well.

"I'll keep an eye on Nick." Gideon said before walking up to stairs.

"Hope... he... feels... better." Flash said.

"With the way things have been, I'm not so sure." Ronnie said lifting up Flash to carry him.

Things were... too depressing at that Wilde House now. All the kids decided that it was best for all of them to leave. Even Judy didn't stayed. She asked her parents if she could just go to the motel for the rest of the day with some of her other siblings. Both Stu and Bonnie were a bit surprised by this because she likes to stay with Nick as long as possible. But she felt that she didn't know what to say to him. So... they took her to the motel after saying their goodbyes to John and Frankie.

Since Gideon was still sleeping over at Nick's, he stayed with Nick in his room hoping to help him feel better. As for Finnick, Benji, Falisha, Gazelle, Audran, Ronnie, and Flash, they all went home and laid in their bed concern about their friends. Not just Nick, but Mervin as well. Mervin did say some pretty horrible things at Chuck, Ed, Phillip, Wilfred, and Darwin. The five of them might feel even worst for their actions now. It was starting to feel that the group that Nick started was slowly beginning to fall apart. Would it be able to become stable again?

Tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the day John has to make his final decision. The decision that may change everything for the Wildes.

 **Seems like things got really tense. Nick shouting at his dad, Mervin feeling guilty after telling off the former scouts, The five boys leaving the room in total pain from Mervin's words, and all of their friends stuck in the middle of things. How are things going to be now? What will John decision be? Stay tuned for the third and final part. Til then.**


	25. Chapter 23: Let's make a deal Part 3

**Hey y'all! Now it finally time for Chapter 23. The conclusion to this 3-parter. Long chapter too. If you all paid attention to the last couple of chapters, everything is going from bad to worst for everyone. When Nick wanted to know about Alexander Lupuscis's intentions with his dad's store, he went to Lupuscis INC. to talk face to face with him. It didn't work out well. During the talk, Lupuscis reveal his true colors and only wants to use John as a stepping stool for him own needs. Also, Mervin told off the Former Junior Ranger Scouts in a really hard way. So hard that they ran out in tears. Mervin feels bad about that and heads out in totally depressing. To make matters worst, even with Nick telling his dad about Lupuscis, John still feels that he should make the deal and let him invest in Suitopia. Nick wasn't happy about that and shouted at his father. He didn't want him to sell himself out, even if it was for the family. Not knowing what to do, all of Nick's friends could only leave. Like the song from Zebrahead, "Everything's falling apart." Can things be put back together? Let's find out.**

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Tundratown. The coldest district in the city. That was where John Wilde and Francine Wilde were. The two of them stopped at a building and knocked at the door. Opening the door was a large polar bear in a black suit. He looked down at the fox couple and moved out of the doorway.

"Come in. He was expecting you." The polar bear said.

John and Frankie nodded and stepped inside. The polar bear led the two foxes in a room with a big desk. There were two chairs in front of the desk that John and Frankie sat in. Another polar bear, larger than the last one, came into the room, walked behind the desk, and placed a small chair on it. In the chair was the arctic shrew, Mr. Big. It seems that the reason for John and Frankie being here was to talk to Mr. Big.

"Johnathan Wilde. It's a pleasure to see you again." Mr. Big said sounding a bit happy, yet his expression didn't seem to say that.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Big." John said bowing his head.

"Ahh and Francine. You look as beautiful as always." Mr. Big said to Frankie.

"Thank you. You're too kind." Frankie said happily.

Mr. Big then wanted Frankie to come closer so he could kiss her cheeks in an Italian style. Frankie went over and Mr. Big did that. Frankie then sat back down on her chair.

"Now... what brings you two here?" Mr. Big asked.

"We... wanted to talk to you about something." John said.

"Did you wanted to ask for more money?" Mr. Big asked.

"No. The money you gave us before was more than we could ever ask for." John said honestly. "What we came here for is advice."

One of the polar bears offered both John and Frankie each a cup of tea. The two take the cups and held the teacups with the saucers on the bottom.

"Advice, eh? What advice do you need?" Mr. Big asked.

John took a sip of his tea before speaking. "Well... are you familiar with Lupuscis INC.?" John asked Mr. Big.

"The company owned by an Alexander Lupuscis, yes." Mr. Big said.

"Alexander Lupuscis wants to invest in my Suitopia store idea. He's also offering me a lot of money to make if happen if I say yes." John said. "But..." John started to tremble a bit. Almost spilling a bit of his tea. "... this guy also rejected me a few years back. Also our son, Nick, thinks that we shouldn't make a deal with someone who insults us about living off the bottom. I rather not work with someone like that either. But this might be the last chance I get. I can't just past that down. I also want what's best for my wife and my son."

John looked at his teacup and sees the sad looking image of himself on the reflection of the tea. John feels completely conflicted on what he should do. Frankie was also concern for her husband as a good wife should. John always did his best as the provider to provide for his family.

"What should I do?" John asked Mr. Big sincerely.

"Well..." Mr. Big said.

Before Mr. Big answered, a little girl arctic shrew wearing a white dress with pink flowers all over it and had parculiar black hairdo on her. This little girl was Mr. Big's daughter, Fru Fru.

"Daaaaddy?" Fru Fru shouted out as she runs to her father. "There was this new scarf that I wanted to get. Can I get it? Please, please, pleeease?"

"Not now, sweetie. Daddy's talking to his dear friends, the Wildes." Mr. Big said to his daughter.

"You must be Fru Fru." John said.

"Nice to meet you, sweetie." Frankie said happily.

"Uhh... nice to meet you too, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde." Fru Fru said as she bows her head down in a polite matter.

"Fru Fru, how about you let daddy finishing his discussion and then we could get you that scarf, okay?" Mr. Big said.

"Ohhh... thank you, daddy." Fru Fru said happily before hugging her father.

"Alright. Now get going." Mr. Big said shooing her daughter away.

"Okay, daddy." Fru Fru said happily. She then looked at John and Frankie again. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde." She then bowed her head down again.

"Same here, sweetie." Frankie said with a smile.

With that said, Fru Fru left the room with one of the polar bears.

"What a sweet little girl you have." John said to Mr. Big.

"She's my pride and joy." Mr. Big said with a smile. "Now, back to our matters. Johnathan, I believe we had this discussion before. As fathers, we are providers and want to give our children the things we never had. But I also told you about some people using your honesty to benefit their own needs." Mr. Big stated. He then got out of his chair and walks a little bit closer to John. "Johnathan, do you know **why** I offered you so much money before?"

"Cause you well feeling pity for a family of foxes?" John asked.

"No. It's cause I **respect** you." Mr. Big answered. "Respect is the most important thing in any partnership. So tell me, doesn't Alexander Lupuscis **really** respect you or does he want to use you for his on benefit?"

John had an unsure look on his face. He didn't really know if Lupuscis actually did respected him or not.

"It's understanding that you want to support your family the best you can. But how can you support them when you can't support yourself?" Mr. Big asked. "You're a good man, Johnathan and I'm sure your wife and your son will be fine with whatever choice you make. The question is, what choice will you make?"

 _Why? Why does it always have to be about me and mom? WHY CAN'T YOU THINK ABOUT YOURSELF FOR ONCE?!_ _I wouldn't hate you if that's what you're worried about._

Those words from Nick kept echoing in John's head. It's true that he's always thought about Nick and Frankie before his own good. So... what did he really cared about? Did he cared about his pride enough. He then looks at his beloved wife.

"Frankie... is it okay for me to be selfish? Just this once?" John asked.

Frankie placed her paw on John's.

"Of course. You know I'll support you with whatever you choose to do." Frankie said with a light smile.

Happy that his wife said that, John lean his head on Frankie's.

"I love you." John said sincerely.

"Love you too, Johnny." Frankie said happily doing the same.

"Hmm. See's that you came up with your choice." Mr. Big said smirking.

"I have." John said to Mr. Big with a confident smile.

So it seems like John has finally come up with his decision. But even so, things were still happening with the kids. Judy was still in her motel room since yesterday with a few of her other siblings. Judy was on the bed with her head in a pillow, looking really depressed. Her brothers and sisters tried to cheer her up, but to no avail. Still, there was one of her brothers that might cheer her up. Her older brother, Edgar. Now Edgar, being the emo bunny he is, would normally be the LAST person that could cheer her up. Yet, Edgar thought that he had nothing to lose. Edgar asked all the siblings in the room to leave the room for him to talk to Judy by himself. The siblings all nodded and left. Edgar then walked over to Judy.

"Someone's looking all gloomy and I'm not talking about me... for once." Edgar said use to him being the gloomy one.

"It's not a good time, Edgar." Judy said still sound depressed and with her head still in the pillow.

"Come on, talk to me." Edgar said sitting on the bed with Judy.

Judy got her head out of the pillow and looked at Edgar. "Do you know what it's like to have everything be good and then, right out of nowhere, everything go down right in front of you?" Judy asked Edgar.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Edgar asked Judy with a straight face.

"Do you already know about Mr. Wilde?" Judy asked.

"You mean about that big company that wants to invest in Mr. Wilde's store idea? Yeah. Mom and dad were talking about it." Edgar said.

"So you do know. Well... yesterday me, Nick, and a few of the others went over the company, Lupuscis INC., to talk to the head CEO. According to Nick, the guy's a jerk and even talked bad about the Wilde's shop and said they lived off the bottom. So you can guess Nick doesn't like a guy like that to work with his dad. But even when Nick told Mr. Wilde, he's still thinking about saying yes to the deal." Judy said to Edgar.

"Because he cares more about the money he makes for his family than his pride." Edgar said.

"Right. But that's not even the least of our problems." Judy said.

"What else is wrong?" Edgar asked.

"Remember those scouts I talked about before?" Judy asked.

"The same one that... you know... Nick?" Edgar asked referring to the muzzling.

"Those are the ones." Judy said. "However, they aren't really the same five jerks anymore. Nick called to over for them to help, but most of us weren't too fond of about it. This included Finnick and our other friend, Mervin. He... said some things to them and it really hurt all of their feelings. Next thing you know, they all ran out of the basement, crying."

"Hmm. I see. So you're not okay with whatever this Mervin kid said to them?" Edgar asked. "Cause if my memory is right, you hated those guys more than anyone, right?"

"Well... yeah. But even I think some things Mervin said was a little too far." Judy said.

"Were they?" Edgar asked raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked while get up from her last position and sitting close to her brother.

"Think about it, these guys were heartless enough to muzzle Nick and other predators for doing nothing wrong. They also ruined your friend's dream and started to make him judge himself. You were even close to ending your friendship with him because of them." Edgar said. "Would you have been okay with that?"

"No. I can't say I would have." Judy said honestly. "Nick has been the greatest friend I could as for. To lose his friendship... I don't think I could take it."

"Right. But there are also other factors to keep in mine." Edgar said. "You and Nick solved everything with those guys in 2 weeks, but Mervin, he may have been angry at those guys for **months** and never stopped being angry. Not only that,if it wasn't for you two, would those five boys just keep going with the muzzling, knowing what they did was wrong?"

"Uhhhh..." Judy said not sure to answer.

"Life is life, sis. We have to accept the good and the bad." Edgar stated.

Edgar was right. Somethings you can't control people's action or the things that happen to you. This is something that everyone should know in life. Judy looked at her brother and wondered... what happen to him to make he this way.

"Edgar, what made you... you? I remember when I was younger, you were just like everyone else. What happen to change you so much?" Judy asked.

"So, someone finally decides to ask me. Well... it happened 3 years ago." Edgar said as he started flashing back to when he was 12.

He was in an auditorium with a whole bunch of other kids. Most of the kids were bunnies. Edgar didn't wear black like he usually does now. Just a white shirt with a carrot on it.

"I was at one of those school assemblies that told us about some of the careers that we could have when we grow up. One of the speakers just happen to be a bunny that was also a carrot farmer. Just like mom and dad." Edgar stated. "He said he ran his family's farm. Like mom and dad. Work on the crops everyday. Like mom and dad. Has hundreds of kids that he expected to work on the farm with him. Like mom and dad. Doing the same thing day in and day out. No excitement. No worries. No high expectations. Just like..."

"... mom and dad." Judy said sounding down.

"Right..." Edgar said sounding down as well. "That farmer was no different from our parents. No different from any bunny at Bunnyburrow. To me... it scared me."

"What did you do?" Judy asked.

"What did you think? I got out of that auditorium. Heck, I went outside of the school. I just couldn't deal with all the feelings I was get. I use to be okay with being a carrot farmer like everyone else. But if that also meant being the same like every other bunny, than I rather drop the whole farmer thing." Edgar said.

"What happened next?" Judy asked.

"Later that day, I ran into some of the bad kids. All bunnies. 3 boys, 1 girl. In attire similar to the kind I'm wearing right now." Edgar said. "I was pretty scared of them at first and they could tell. They were picking on me a bit, saying that I was gonna be like every other bunny in Bunnyburrow. As they surrounded me, I shouted out "If being a bunny means being like everyone else, then I don't want to be a bunny.". They were all surprised to hear me said that. After that, they decided to back off. It turned out that they weren't bad kids like I thought. They were actually... rebel bunnies."

"Rebel... bunnies?" Judy asked sounding confused.

"Yep. Bunnies against being bunnies." Edgar stated. "The four then told me to walked with them. They wanted to show me some parts of town. The **dark** things that I would never had realized."

Judy felt a little afraid to hear what else Edgar had to said. Yet, she still listened.

"First, they showed me a family of bunnies that was having money issues. Too many kids, not enough income. The family had to live off small meals, if any meals just to stay alive. Our family didn't had the problem, but could we if things were different?" Edgar asked Judy. "Next, they talked to me about how some bunny families keep their kids in the homes cause of them being scared of predators. Also, it's not like they can go to school when most of the schools aren't even big enough to hold families of 300 or so kids. So good luck to them in trying to find a well-paying career without a proper school education. Then the third thing was the kicker. They... took me to see an orphanage. They showed me what happens to the kids that lose their parents. For bunnies, it's the absolute worst place to end up in because bunnies that go in there, don't often get out."

Edgar had a point. Everyone only has 2 real parents. For bunnies that had more than a handful of siblings, it would be hard for any of them to get adopted. Let alone in a town like Bunnyburrow where bunny families already have enough kids.

"You want to know why it's so hard for bunnies to get adopted? It because people always think "Why adopt a kid when we already have 358 at home?" or "If we adopt 1, what about the others?"." Edgar stated. "So after seeing all of that, it made me realized that being a bunny wasn't perfect and if things kept being the way we were, it would only lead to our own self-destruction."

"Edgar..." Judy said sadly.

"Later, those rebel bunnies asked me if I wanted to join them and... you can guess my answer." Edgar said. "Got some black clothes, change my attitude, and became this. Didn't even need to second guess it. And that was it."

This ended Edgar's flashback.

"Wow. I had no idea that's how you felt." Judy said sadly with her ears still drooped down.

"Well it's not like I talked about it." Edgar said.

"Do you... regret changing yourself?" Judy asked.

"Do I regret not still being a bunny that lives in a rural fantasy like everyone else? No. No I do not." Edgar said. "As bad as some of it was, I don't regret any of the things that happened to me. You shouldn't either."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Judy asked.

"Listen sis, like I said, we need to accept both the good things and the bad things that happen to us. It forms who we become in the long haul" Edgar said. "Judy, let me ask you a few things. When you were bullied by Gideon, that was..."

"Bad." Judy answered.

"But because of that, you were able to meet Nick and become friends with him. Which was..." Edgar said to Judy.

"Good." Judy answered.

"Right. Then later, he helped Gideon change his ways and our families become such good friends that we decide to visit each other every week. Which is..."

"Good." Judy answered.

"Right again. Now the scouts DID judge Nick for being a fox and muzzled him, which was..."

"Bad, no doubt." Judy said.

"However, because of you, you helped him stay true to himself and stand up to them. That was, without a doubt..." Edgar said.

"Good." Judy said starting to smile.

"Which of course, led Nick to forming his own pack with you and make a whole bunch of new friends that trust him." Edgar said.

"That was, without a doubt, good." Judy said happily.

"See? While a few of those seem bad, they all led to good things." Edgar said smiling lightly. "And in the end, you overcome them and it has only made you stronger. Am I wrong?"

"No. Not at all. You are right, Eddy." Judy said with her ears going back up.

"Still can't call me that." Edgar said still not too fond about people calling him Eddy.

"Right. Right." Judy said flailing her paws.

"Now... about these five former scouts. I get you all should still be mad at them. Heck, I don't even know them and they still tick me off. Buuuut... they want to change, right? Should you at least give them a chance?" Edgar asked.

"I guess." Judy said still unsure about that.

"Right now, I bet those guys are feeling really hurt. Maybe it's because they didn't realize how bad what they did was." Edgar said. "How can they make up for what they did if all you do is see that bad in them?"

"So... what you are saying is... if we treat them the same way they treated other predators, we are no different from what they were." Judy said to Edgar.

"Correct. If you want to be the bigger mammals, you have to forgive and forget." Edgar said. "Otherwise, you might lead them to a down path. A path that rarely gets back up from."

"Oh my god." Judy said with her paws in her face."You're right."

"Better you find out now then figuring it out too late." Edgar said.

"If Chuck and the others really want to change, then I guess others and I should let them." Judy said. "It's the best thing for us to do."

"Good. Glad you see it that way." Edgar said with a smile. "Feeling better?"

"A lot. Thanks." Judy said before hugging her brother. Edgar didn't really feel comfortable about it.

"Not... much a hugger." Edgar stated with an uncomfortable expression.

"Right. Sorry." Judy said letting go. "You may be moody sometimes, but you're a good brother."

"Huh. Feels like I went up the Hopps' list of best brothers." Edgar said with a smirk.

"Haha!" Judy laughed. "Say Edgar, I don't think I ever asked. What do you want to do when you grow up?"

"Undertaker." Edgar said. "You think the birthrate is high in Bunnyburrow, just wait for the death toll to kick in. The job will nearly pay for itself."

Judy's eyes widen and he looked a bit freaked out by what Edgar wanted to be. I mean, an undertaker? Not exactly a dream.

"Orrrrrr..." Edgar said wanting to say another job he could do. "... a motivation speaker. Seems like that's been working for me so far."

"I like that choice." Judy said smiling.

"Figured you would. Guess we got that fox friend of yours to be thankful for." Edgar said smiling. "I can see why you love Nick so much."

"WHAT?" Judy shouted out starting to blush. "I... I don't..."

"Stop." Edgar said putting a paw in front of Judy's face. "Whether you love being his friend, love being near him, the third way, or all of the above, in one way or another, you love him. There's no hiding that."

Judy puffed out her cheeks in anger as well as still blushing madly. She didn't want to admit it, but in one form or another, she did loved Nick. She just didn't want to admit which way. Which was most likely all of the above. Then at that moment, both Edgar and Judy hear a knocking on the door.

"Who's knocking?" Judy said.

"Judy! Are you in there?" A voice shouted from outside the door.

"Ben? Is that you?" Judy said recognizing his voice. She then walked to the door and opened it up. She sees that it is Ben. Along with Finnick, Gideon, Gazelle, Ronnie, and Falisha. "Oh. It's more than just you."

The group all came inside the room.

"We came to check on you." Falisha said.

"Where's Nick?" Judy asked noticing he wasn't here.

"He went to Mervin's house to check on him." Finnick said.

"And Mr. and Mrs. Wilde?" Judy asked concerned for them as well.

"They said they were heading to Tundratown for some reason." Gideon said not knowing the reason.

"But... isn't Mr. Wilde's investment choice today?" Judy asked.

"Not for another few hours." Finnick said. "Guess they are doing some last minute thing before making his big choice."

"We were about to head to Mervin's house and join Nick." Ronnie said.

"You should come too." Gazelle suggested.

Judy looked back at her brother to see if she could get the okay from him to leave. Edgar nodding.

"Go. Look out for your friends." Edgar said to Judy.

"Thanks!" Judy said with smile.

"Hold on." Finnick said halting everything. He then put his attention of the bunny in black clothing. "Is this guy one of your thousands of siblings, bunny girl?"

"Are you that fox with the anger issues?" Edgar asked raising an eyebrow.

"Aren't you a little **gloom-n-doom** to be a bunny?" Finnick asked with a smirk.

"Aren't you a little **short** to be a fox?" Edgar asked with a smirk.

Finnick and Edgar glared at each other for a few seconds. After that, they both had smirks on their faces.

"I like this guy." Finnick said to Judy with a smirk.

"Jude, you really know how to pick your fox friends." Edgar said smirking as well.

"Okay. Let's go." Judy said with a straight-face while pushing Finnick out the door. "Last thing I want is for someone like Finnick to get along with my **gloom-n-doom** brother."

"Hey!" Finnick and Edgar shouted being a bit offended.

"See ya, Eddy." Judy said as her and everyone leaves the room.

"I told you not to call me..." Edgar said before everyone left but didn't get to finish. He just put his paw in his face. "Ugh. Why do I even bother?"

Meanwhile, Nick was dashing in the streets and stopped when he made it to a two story house downtown. This was supposedly Mervin's house.

"This should be the place." Nick thought as he walks up the stoop stairs. He then knocks on the door 3 times and waited for someone to open it. "Please open up. Please open up."

After waiting a few, someone opened the door. It was a female spotted hyena, wearing a red sweater and white pants. The female hyena was also holding a baby hyena with a pink onesie in her arms. Nick assume that this hyena was Mervin's mom and the baby was his little sister.

"Hello?" The female hyena said to the fox.

"Are you Mrs. Howlino?" Nick asked.

"You must be Nick." The female hyena said seeming to know him.

"Yeah. That's me." Nick said nodding.

"Please come in." Mrs. Howlino said letting Nick come in the house.

Nick walked into the house. He looks and sees that it was nice enough. Had the stuff a house would normally have. A couch, a chair, a tv, photos on the walls. Seem no different from his own home. But parts of the house were a bit on the messy side with a few clothes on the floor. Mervin did say he had five older brothers. This was a good sign of that.

"You can hang your jacket on that." Mrs. Howlino said pointing at a coat rack.

"Okay." Nick said taking out the jean jacket he got from Xand and put it on the rack.

"Sorry if the house is a bit of a mess. Didn't know we were expecting guess." Mrs. Howlino said to Nick.

"It's fine." Nick said. He then looked at the baby hyena Mrs. Howlino was holding. "So, is that Mervin's little sister?"

"You guessed it. This is little Melody." Mrs. Howlino said happily as she lowered down a bit to Nick. "Say hi, Melody."

"Hi." Melody said while waving her little paws.

Melody was cute for a hyena pup. Nick thought that while she was looking at her.

"Awww. She's adorable." Nick said happily. "Is it okay if I hold her?"

"You sure you want to?" Mrs. Howlino asked looking concern.

"I've been in a room full of baby bunnies. I think I can handle holding one baby hyena, ma'am." Nick stated with sly smile.

"Hahahahaha!" Mrs. Howlino burst into laughter. "Mervin did say you were funny."

"That... wasn't a joke. I've actually done that." Nick said with a straight-face.

Mrs. Howlino then carefully handed Melody for Nick to hold her. Nick had experience holding a baby after his time with the Hopps, so he had no problem with this. Hyena babies were heavier than bunny babies, but Nick could still handle it. Nick looked at little Melody and made a light smile.

"Hello there. My name's Nick. One of your brother's friends." Nick said smiling at her. "Please... don't call me Ick like the last baby that I held."

Melody just did some baby babbling at Nick. She also put her paws on Nick's nose and muzzle. She seem to like the fox.

"Aww! Aren't you cute?" Nick said to Melody with a wide smile.

Nick then started to make some goofy faces in an attempt to make Melody laugh. It worked. She was giggling quite a lot.

"Ha. Ha. You're as easy to make laugh as your brother." Nick said with a wide smile.

"Seems like Melody likes you." Mrs. Howlino stated.

"Guess I have a way with babies." Nick stated as he still held Melody.

At that moment, a tall male hyena came into the room. He was wearing a blue suit and a red tie. Since he looked a lot like Mervin, Nick assume that this was Mervin's dad. Mr. Howlino noticed Nick.

"Oh. We have a guest." Mr. Howlino said. "You must be Nick."

"You must be Merv's pop. Nice to meet you, Mr. Howlino." Nick said politely.

"Likewise, young man." Mr. Howlino said greeting the little fox. "Please make yourself at home."

"Thank you, sir." Nick said still sounding polite.

Mr. Howlino gave a certain, familiar feeling to Nick. With that suit he had on, Mervin's dad reminded him of his own dad. But it was just a feeling he got. He seem nice enough, but also had a bit of a firm look on his face.

Then from behind Mr. Howlino were three other hyenas. All three of them were boys and were teenagers by the look of them. They seemed around the ages of 15 and 17. The first of the boys was a bit on the skinny side and wore a red shirt with black sleeves and slightly ripped blue jeans. His mohawk hairdo also had red dye on it. The second boy was on the chubby side and was wearing a dark green football jersey with a 53 on it and black pants. The third boy was the tallest out of the three. He had a regular body type with a black sleeveless shirt on, a silver chain around his neck, and some blue jeans. He also had more top hair than the others. Mervin did say he had five older brothers. So this must have been three of them.

"This my be that fox who's friends with Mervin." The skinny hyena said.

"Huh. He's looks like quite a little guy. Like Merv." The chubby hyena said.

"Woah! Big kids. Big kids!" Nick thought starting to look a bit nervous. Guess Nick wasn't really use to being near high school students. Also, he heard some scary stories about these guys from Mervin.

"Now boys, be good to our guest." Mrs. Howlino said to the three.

"Yes, mom." The skinny and chubby hyenas said.

"Nick, these are our three oldest boys. Also, Mervin's older brothers." Mr. Howlino stated to Nick.

"I'm Murray. I'm the third oldest." The skinny hyena said cheery.

"My name's Machoney. I'm the second oldest. Call me Mac." The chubby hyena said in a happy tone.

"Miles. I'm the first born." The taller hyena said in a firm tone.

"Nice to... meet you." Nick said to them. "They all have M in their names?" Nick thought thinking that was weird.

Miles then walked over to Nick and stared down at him. It was making Nick more nervous than before.

"Wh... what?" Nick asked why Miles was glaring at him.

"Mervin said you consider yourself to be very funny." Miles said to Nick.

"I like to think I am." Nick said honestly.

"Alright then. Tell us a joke and make us laugh." Miles said to Nick.

"Right now?" Nick asked feeling that he was a bit put on the spot.

"Come on. Should be easy for you, riiiiight?" Miles asked with a smirk.

It felt like Miles was taking a shots at Nick's ego. Nick decided to tell them a joke. He thought about a joke he could tell them and came up with something.

"Alright, how's this?" Nick said before telling the joke. "I have a bunny friend named Judy. I like to call her Carrots. The other day, Judy said that I was more of a carrot than her because of my **orange** fur. Honestly, I find that quite... **a-peeling**."

A second later, everyone in that room burst into laughter. Like, hyena laughter. Even baby Melody was laughing hard. Seems like laughter runs in the family. Nick had a straight face on when he realized that.

"Wow. This is... without a doubt... Mervin's family." Nick thought.

The laughter then started to die down.

"Haha! I get it. Cause orange is also a fruit and you **peel** that." Mac said still chuckling.

"Haha... ha... whooo! You really are funny." Miles said after catching his breath.

"Thanks!" Nick said with a smile.

"All jokes aside, I got to get to work." Mr. Howlino said as he picks up a black suitcase. "It was nice meeting you, Nick."

"Have a good day at work, honey." Mrs. Howlino said before kissing her husband on the cheek.

"Ewwww!" Murray, Mac, and Miles said in disgust and with their tongues out at the site of seeing their parent's affections for each other.

Nick covered Melody's eyes with his paw so she wouldn't have to see this.

"Just like me, no child should see their parents like this." Nick said not too fond it this either.

Mr. Howlino then left the house to get to his job. Mrs. Howlino then went to Nick to pick up her daughter again.

"I'll take Melody back. It's time to put her down for her nap." Mrs. Howlino said to Nick while lifting her baby up. "Say bye-bye to Nick, sweetie."

"Buh-buh!" Melody said waving at Nick. Nick waved back with a smile.

"Remember, be nice, boys." Mrs. Howlino said to her sons.

"Yes, ma'am." The three hyena brothers said.

Mrs. Howlino left the room, leaving Nick alone with Miles, Mac, and Murray.

"Your baby sister is really adorable." Nick stated to the three brothers.

"Took mom 6 tries to finally get that girl she wanted." Murray said. Miles and then both slapped Murray on the backside of his head. "Oww!"

"So... did Mervin say anything about us?" Miles asked.

"Things like 'endless noogies' came up." Nick said to them.

"Hey! We don't give him... that much noogies. Just... the regular amount." Mac said while scratching the back of his head. "You know how big brothers are, right?"

"No, I don't. Only child." Nick stated to the three brothers.

"Oh. Sorry. Wouldn't have guess by the way you were so calm holding Melody." Mac said.

"I had some experience." Nick said. He then decided to ask them how Mervin was doing. "So... how's Mervin?"

"He's... in his room. With our other two brothers." Miles said looking sad.

"He's been in there since yesterday. He only comes out for food and the bathroom." Murray stated.

"So... he still regrets what he said to Chuck and the others." Nick said.

"Seems that way." Mac said agreeing with Nick.

From what Nick could tell, these guys all look like good enough brothers. So they must have cared for their little brother.

"Hey. You guys... know about what the scouts... former scouts... did to him, right?" Nick asked.

Miles, Mac, and Murray all looked at each other with concerned looks on their faces before answering Nick.

"We're his brothers. Of course we knew." Miles said firmly.

"If that's the case, why didn't you do something about it? Didn't you care how he felt?" Nick asked sounding a bit serious.

"Hold on. You didn't think we wanted to help Mervin?" Murray asked. "All five of us were mad with those boys for muzzling our brothers. But it's not like we didn't want to do anything. We just... couldn't."

"There were two sides to that story and we were on the losing side." Mac said.

"While the real story was five brothers getting even with the five boys that muzzled their little brother, they could have made it out as five high school **predators** messing with five Junior Ranger Scouts who were still in elementary school and all prey mammals." Miles stated. "Even if that wasn't the case, mammals take the side of what's more believable. Sadly, that wasn't us."

"*sigh* So the best we could do was cheer up Merv and tell him to get over the pain and laugh it off. Guess he never did." Mac said looking sad.

"Poor Mervin. He must have had it worser than I did." Nick said with his ears shifting down.

"Yeah." Miles said. Before looking angry. "But you better believe when they all came over here with their parents to apology, we let them have it."

"Mom and dad let us be the ones to tell them off for what did they did to Mervin and we told them off." Murrey said in a serious tone. "If they were scared of predators already, you best believe they were afraid of five hyenas circling and yelling at them.

"However, it seem like the five of them were already hurt enough on the inside. Like someone had already beat us to the punch and told them off in a way worst than ours." Mac stated.

"Must have been after my mom already gave them the what for." Nick said.

"Your mom must be a scary lady." Mac said.

"She's not. Well... not to me and pop. Sometimes." Nick said admitting that sometimes his mom can be scary. "So, can I talk to Mervin? See if he's okay?"

"Sure. The room is upstairs. Second door to the right." Murray said.

"Second door, right. Got it." Nick said.

Nick then started to make his way to Mervin's room. But before he did, he was stopped by Miles saying something else too him.

"Just a minute." Miles said to Nick.

"Yeah?" Nick said looking back at Miles.

"Did you know that Mervin gave up two of his old friends to be friends with you?" Miles asked.

"N... no. He never told me that." Nick said looking a bit stunned.

"You should know that he doesn't regret his choice. Be sure to keep it that way." Miles said to Nick.

Nick simply nodded to him before heading for the stairs. As Nick makes it to the second floor of the house, he follow's Murray's direction and stops at the second door to the right. He then knocked on the door three times.

"Mervin! Are you in there?" Nick shouted. "It's me, Nick."

"Please go away, Nick." A voice from inside the room said. It was Mervin's voice.

"Come on, dude. We have to talk." Nick shouted out not wanting to leave. A second later, someone open the door. But it wasn't Mervin. It was another hyena. He was younger looking than the other three. He looked at least 12. He had on a red shirt with a white stripe in the middle, white jeans, and sunglasses over his head. "You're... not Mervin."

"Nope. I'm Merlin." The hyena said.

"Merlin. Another M." Nick said not sounding surprised.

"You're here to see Merv?" Merlin asked.

"If I can." Nick said.

Merlin let Nick inside the room. The room had a bunch of stuff you would expect in a boy's room. It reminded Nick of the room he shared with Judy's brothers. It had posters, some toys, a few model cars, a few clothes on the floor, and other things. There were also three sets of beds and two of them were bunk beds. On the top bunk was Mervin, still looking depressed. Also in the room was another boy hyena, looking around the age of 11. He had spots on his cheeks that it look like he had freckles. He was wearing a blue polo shirt and black jeans. He also seem only slighter taller than Mervin. Nick wasn't really focus on everything else. The sight of bunk beds kinda excited Nick.

"Woah! Bunk beds?! Okay, if I sleepover, I am soooo calling top bunk." Nick said a bit overexcited at the wrong time.

"Hate to break it to ya, but the top bunk is currently occupied with a sad hyena." The other hyena in the room said.

"You must be the last hyena brother I haven't met yet. Guessing your name also has an M." Nick said to the hyena.

"You would guess right. I'm Mali." The hyena said introducing himself.

"So... you all have M in your names?" Nick asked.

"Our parents thought it would be cute." Mali stated.

"I find it **M-pressive**." Nick said making a joke. Of course, both Melvin and Mali started laughing. Nick wasn't even surprised anymore. "These guys make it to easy."

Even though they were laughing, Mervin wasn't. He was silent and that bothered Nick. Mervin always laughs at Nick's jokes. Even the ones, he didn't find funny.

"These are the jokes, Merv." Nick said to Mervin still on his bed.

"He's been like this all day since yesterday. Nothing we try seems to work." Merlin said looking worried.

"Do you mind if I talk to him alone?" Nick asked Merlin.

"Not at all." Merlin said.

"Please make our bro feel better." Mali pleaded to Nick.

"That's the plan." Nick said.

So Melvin and Mali left the room for Nick to be alone to talk to Mervin. Nick climbed up the ladder and looked at the depressed hyena in his bed. Mervin was facing the other way from Nick.

"Hey Mervin. How are you feeling?" Nick asked the sad hyena.

"Same as yesterday. Still feeling like a slimeball after what I said to them." Mervin simply said. "You shouldn't have come here, Nick."

"Come on, Mervin. You're being too hard on yourself." Nick said sincerely.

"Why not? You saw me yesterday. I let my anger get the best of me. Gideon was right. I bottled my anger and it came out in a way I never wanted it to." Mervin said sadly. "I... I went too far. I broke our motto, Nick. I didn't see the good in those guys. I didn't **want** to see the good in those guys."

"Mervin..." Nick said sadly as his ears went down.

"Nick..." Mervin said as he turned around to face him. "Why are we friends?"

"What do you mean? We met at lunch, I made jokes, you laugh, instant friendship." Nick answered.

"But that was only because I saw your sign and heard that you got back at Chuck, Phillip and the others. If things were different, I would have still thought of you like everyone else thought foxes were like. But after meeting you, Mr. Wilde, Mrs. Wilde, Gideon, Finnick, that couldn't be more wrong." Mervin admitted. "We should have been friends sooner, Nick."

Nick already knew that Mervin use to think of Nick no different from how everyone else use to thought of him. But Nick didn't care. Nick still thought of Mervin as one of his first real friends. Nick looked at Mervin who now had a look of doubts on his face.

"Nick... I... don't think I deserve to be a Zoo-Burrow Scout anymore. I think I need to leave the pack." Mervin said to Nick.

Nick didn't want to believe that Mervin said that. Mervin was one of the pack's first members. So Nick definitely didn't want him to leave.

"Resignation declined." Nick said firmly. "I won't let you leave the pack and all of our friends."

"How can I be a part of a pack when lash out the way I did?" Mervin asked.

"You're acting like Judy and I didn't do the same thing." Nick stated.

"But did they leave out the room crying and feeling completely broken?" Mervin asked sounding serious and getting up a bit. "I did that. I'm no different from them."

"Mervin, you're not..." Nick tried to plead more to Mervin, but he stopped.

"Enough, Nick." Mervin said firmly. He then took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Nick, I know you mean well... but please... just let me be alone for a while longer."

It seems like Nick was getting nowhere with Mervin. The hyena was just too depressed. Nick didn't want to, but decided to do what Mervin said.

"Alright. Take all the time you need. But I won't let you leave the pack." Nick said to the hyena.

Nick then climbs down the ladder and made his way to the door. But be for he left, he wanted to say one more thing at Mervin.

"Mervin, you should know... I don't regret being your friend either." Nick said sounding sincere. He then left the room.

Mervin had a bit of a stunned look on his face. He didn't expect Nick to say that cause it meant that his brothers told them about his other two friends. Something Mervin never really wanted to tell Nick.

Nick went back to the living room getting ready to leave. As he enters the living room, he was surprised to see who else was in the room. Not just Mervin's brothers, but Judy and his other friends as well.

"Carrots? Guys?" Nick said stunned to see everyone here.

"Nick!" Judy said glad to see Nick. "How's Mervin?"

"Still down in the dumps. We just need to give him more time." Nick said.

"Oh. Alright." Judy said as her ears drooped down.

Nick then went to the coat rack, grabbed his jacket and put it back on. He then put his attention to Mervin's brothers.

"Sorry I couldn't do much for him." Nick said to them.

"It's fine. You might have at least help him a little bit." Miles said to Nick.

"I just wish I could do more." Nick said looking a bit sad. He then looked to his friends. "Come on, guys, Let's go."

Nick and the others then left the Howlino household. They all stood just outside of the house to do some more talking.

"How did things go with your dad?" Benji asked.

"I already apologized to him about yesterday. I told him that I would be okay with whatever choice he makes." Nick said before gripping his chest. "Even if I don't fully agree with it."

"When's his meeting with the Lupuscis anyway?" Ronnie asked.

"Still a few hours. Pop said he's suppose to come in the shop with the paperwork." Nick said.

"Right. Now Mervin, he's still sad about going off at those guys?" Finnick asked.

"It's worst than that. He's even thinking about leaving the pack." Nick said.

"WHAT?!" The others shouted out not too hapy about it.

"He can't just leave. He's our friend." Judy stated.

"He feels that he screwed up too much with what he said to Chuck, Phillip, Ed, Darwin, and Wilfred." Nick said.

"But... it's not like you and Judy didn't say anything different from him." Gideon stated.

"Yeah. But they didn't went running off in tears and feeling broken inside." Nick said. "He felt that he really went too far with them."

"Well it wasn't like things weren't **already** bad for the five of them." Falisha said.

"Already bad? What do you mean?" Nick asked with Falisha's words getting his attention.

"Wait. You... didn't know?" Falisha said to Nick with widen eyes.

"Didn't know what?" Nick asked looking really concern.

"Nick, nearly everyone in school knows what they did." Falisha said.

"What do you mean by 'everyone'?" Judy asked also looking concern.

"Most of the students, the teachers, the parents. Everyone hates those guys now. They've been completely blackballed." Falisha stated.

"I didn't know that." Nick said starting to feel bad.

"What did you expect? Sooner or later, word was gonna spread about those five." Finnick stated crossing his arms.

"Yeah. But still..." Nick said.

"GUYS!" Someone shouted out from behind them.

In the distance, it was Audran, with Flash on his back.

"Oh... good! You're all... already here." Audran said as he puts Flash down and catches his breathe for a bit.

"Audran, Flash, what's up?" Ronnie asked.

"We... have... a... huge... problem... right... now." Flash said with a worried expression on his sloth face.

"More problems? Don't we have enough?" Judy said shaking her head.

"This is serious, eh?" Audran said frantically.

"What wrong?" Gazelle asked.

"Earlier this morning, Flash and I went to check on the Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed. So... we went to each of their houses and... and... " Audran said quivering a bit. "NONE OF THEM CAME HOME LAST NIGHT!"

Hearing those words made it feel like everyone's hearts sunk.

"WHAAAT?!" Everyone else shouted.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NONE OF THEM CAME HOME LAST NIGHT?!" Nick shouted out while grabbing on Audran's shirt.

"It means what it means. None of them came back to their houses last night." Audran said wanting Nick to let go of him. "We talked to each of their parents and they don't know where they could have gone."

"You think... they ran away?" Benji asked.

"Seems... that... way." Flash answered.

"Oh my god." Judy said looking really worried. "Did they call the police?"

"That's the thing. They can't." Audran stated.

"Why not? This is serious. This is the kind of situation that needs to be handle by the police." Judy stated.

"Judy, you're not getting the bigger picture." Nick said to Judy.

"If their parents went to the police, they would have to start an investigation." Benji said.

"The police would then have to go to anyone and everyone that knows who they are." Finnick said.

"AND what they did." Gideon said.

"So... if someone decided to tell the police about them muzzling predators..." Judy said starting to figure things out.

"... then once they found them, they could arrest them for the charges of muzzling." Falisha said.

"Exactly. They could all be sent to juvie right on the spot." Nick stated.

As much as Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed deserved to be put to juvie for what they did, the group didn't really want that. They all started to look really worried now.

"My brother was right." Judy said recalling what she talked about with Edgar. She then tugged at Nick's jacket. "Nick, we did this. They ran away because of us."

"We... were all hard on them in our own ways." Benji admitted twittering his paws.

"I did slap them really hard." Gazelle admitted feeling a bit bad for that.

"You can blame yourselves all you want. We know it's mostly Mervin's fault. And a bit of mine too." Finnick said gripping on to his left arm and looking sad.

"So what do we do?" Audran asked.

"Isn't it obvious? We got to find them." Nick said firmly.

"Nick, if they have been missing since yesterday, then they could literally be anywhere in the city." Finnick stated.

"I don't care. We have to at least try." Nick said to his friends firmly. "We're search all the places they could be here, Downtown."

"Right." The others said nodding and agreeing with Nick.

"We have to hurry." Nick said quickly to everyone.

So the group quickly ran off to attempt to find Chuck and the others. Finnick was right about saying they could be anywhere in the city. So finding them would be pretty difficult. But they couldn't just avoid looking for them. So they spend an hour looking all over parts of Downtown where they could be. They check the arcade, the librany, the bakery, the park, and even the school. But they had no luck finding them. They were all a street corner, still worried.

"It's no use. We can't find them anywhere." Benji said feeling down.

"They have to be somewhere." Nick stated.

"If they are, then it's probably not anywhere Downtown. For all we know, they could be in Savanna Central, Tundratown, The Rain Forest District. Heck, they may not even be in the city anymore." Finnick stated. "It may just be hopeless now."

"Nick, Finnick might be right." Judy said agreeing with Finnick's words.

"No. I'm sure they wouldn't have gone too far." Nick said. Nick then started scratching his chin a bit. "What's a place we haven't check yet?" Nick started to think about all the places he hasn't check Downtown and one place came to mind. "Maybe... they're at the somewhere that's the least likely place, but also the most likely place."

"Huh? Least likely? Most likely?" Judy said looking confused.

"What the heck is that suppose to mean?" Finnick asked.

"I know where they are." Nick said looking serious. "Follow me."

It seems like Nick knew for sure where the five boys are. Since everyone believed Nick, they all followed him. Question is, where was Nick leading them to. The answer, The Junior Ranger Scouts HQ. To everyone's surprise, Nick was right. Sitting on the stairs near the doorway was Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed.

"Look. Nick, you were right. They are here." Judy said to Nick.

"The least likely place, but also the most likely place. Makes sense since this is the place everything went bad for them." Finnick stated.

The group all looked at the five boys. The 5 of them all had their heads down and their paws and hooves over their eyes. Clearly, they were all still pretty sad about everything. Judy then walked forward, but was halted by Nick.

"You all stay here. I'll be the one to talk to them." Nick said.

"Alright." Judy said letting Nick do his thing.

"But we will all stay in earshot, alright?" Finnick said wiggling his ears a bit.

"That's fine." Nick said.

So Nick went over to the stairs and sat on the bottom stair near some of the boys. It didn't look like the five boys noticed Nick. So Nick said something.

"You know you can't just run away from your problem." Nick said to them.

"It's easier than facing them." Ed said with his still down.

"*sigh* I know about you all being blackballed at school. You didn't have to run away from home." Nick said to them.

"It's not like we weren't already planning to." Phillip said. "Mervin's word just made it easier for us."

It sounded like the boys were already planning to run away from everything even before Mervin said what he said to them. Things must be really bad for them now.

"Everyone hates us now. Our own friends, others kids, even our own families." Wilfred admitted.

"Nick... do you remember what Mervin said about karma taken a big bite out of us?" Chuck asked. "Well... karma has already took a bite out of us."

"And you can't muzzle karma." Wilfred said referring to what Mervin said.

"Are things that bad for you now?" Nick asked.

"Bad... is the understatement of the year for us." Darwin said.

"Nick..." Chuck said as he lifts his head up to look at Nick. "... we might as well tell you everything on how our lives have been brought down ever since what happen. It started when we came clean to our scoutmaster."

Chuck and the boys started to talk about what happened to them. Let's flashback to the very day the boys decided to come clean. They were all in their uniform insides the Junior Ranger Scouts HQ with their scoutmaster. Their scoutmaster was a moose with very long antlers. He was wearing a scout uniform as well, but it also had a patch that said scoutmaster on the left side of his shirt. The boys faced their scoutmaster as they just finished telling him about them muzzling every predator that tried to join.

"... and that's about it, sir." Chuck said finishing up.

"I see. No wonder why every predator kid that wanted to join just happen to quit. It was your doing." The scoutmaster said.

"Sir, we..." Chuck said.

"First off, **what** were you boys thinking?" The scoutmaster asked looking disappointed in all of them. "Muzzling predators when they did nothing wrong. What was going through all your minds?"

"It's just that... they were predators. They have... sharp teeth and... they use to eat us prey mammals." Phillip said.

"That's your excuse? Different teeth and something predators stopped doing centuries ago? How could you?" How could you all do something so impractical?" The scoutmaster asked them looking mad.

"We're sorry." The 5 boys said starting to weep.

"Sorry isn't enough." The scoutmaster said firmly. He then started pacing left and right. "Listen boys, there may be good and bad predators, but they are also good and bad prey. What you did was wrong in more ways than one. Once more, your actions are unforgivable and you five even disgrace our pack AND the uniforms you wear."

The five boys just continued to all have their head down, looking very sad about everything.

"That last boy you muzzled, his name was Nicholas Wilde, correct?" The scoutmaster asked.

"Yes, sir." The boys said.

"Now... I met both his parents and even if they are foxes, they are very kind people. So I would guess it would be the same for their son. Yet... you didn't even give him a chance, did you?" The scoutmaster asked as he stopped pace.

"No, sir." The boys admitted.

"The Junior Ranger Scouts are suppose to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy. But you broke that oath with what you done." The scoutmaster said to them. He then turned his back on them. "The things that Nicholas said to you, he was right about it all. I want to believe that there is still some good in you boys, but after hearing all this, I can't."

"But sir..." Chuck said to his scoutmaster.

"Enough!" The scoutmaster shouted out. He then took a few steps forward, still turning his back on them. "Charles, Phillip, Edward, Wilfred, Darwin, from this day forward... you are no longer Junior Rangers Scouts."

The boys all knew that was coming after everything they done. Yet... it still hurt them a lot to hear their scoutmasters say those world. They all loved being Scouts, but now that was over. The five of them tried their best not to cry. It also seem that their scoutmaster wasn't done.

"Also, I will have to call your parents and tell them about this." The scoutmaster said. "They will no doubt punish you for this. You will also be lucky if the other parents don't press charges. You could go to the Juvenile Detention Center for months, even years for this. If that happens, you have no one to blame but yourselves."

They remembered Nick mentioning about juvie. Yet it still scared them.

"Now... all of you... go." The scoutmaster said pointing at the stairway, but not looking at them.

The boys didn't say anything. They just nodded and all walked out of the room in total depression. Like he said to the boys, the scoutmaster called all of their parents about what they did. As expected, all of their parents weren't too happy about hearing what they did. All five groups of parents were all one of their houses. They all left the the five boys alone in the living room, while they were discussing things in the room next to it. The boys didn't see their parents, but they could differently hear them.

"I don't believe this. Our Darwin's a sweet boy."

"The proof's undeniable. They even admitted that they did it."

"This is that Chuck boy's fault. Clearly he's the ring leader.

"Don't go putting this all on our son. Your kid is just as guilty."

"Then where did he even get a muzzle?"

"I don't know. But it wasn't from me."

"Either way, your kid was a bad influence."

"Like yours is any better?"

"What are we gonna do about them? If things get out, everyone will be against them and we will be judged as bad parents."

"It can't be helped. They made their choice. Now they will have to deal with the consequences that come with it."

As their parents continued to talked, the boys all looked really upset. They were scared about what their parents might say to them when they were done talking.

"We really make a mess of things, guys." Chuck said to his friends sadly.

The next thing to happen was the parents asking them which kids did they muzzled. They had to go to each family and directly apology to them. This included Nick's family. Nick's mom and dad had quite a few words to say to them. John finished saying what he needed to, but Frankie... Frankie was far from done. As the five boys just stood their weeping, as she yelled at them.

"HOW DARE YOU?! HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT PUTTING A MUZZLE ON MY BABY?!" Frankie shouted out in anger. "All my baby boy wanted to do was join your little pack. But you... you wouldn't let him because he was a fox. Do you even know what's it liked to be judged for being born a fox? My husband and I can handle it, but our son is only a child. He deserves to be treated better. You had no right to do what you did."

Chuck, Phillip, Ed, Darwin, and Wilfred were all crying quite a lot. But that didn't seem to matter to Frankie.

"What? Are you crying? What about the tears my son cried?" Frankie said to them still angry. "You didn't seem to care about the tears he cried, did you?"

Frankie would continued go on and on at them. Eventually Nick thought they had enough and went over to stop her mom.

"Mom, it's okay. I already gave them the what for twice already." Nick said.

"You're sure?" Frankie asked.

"Positive. Besides, it's clear that they learn their lesson." Nick said looking at them.

"Well... alright then." Frankie said calmly. But then she took one last look at the boys. "Don't do it again. Just don't."

Those words terrified the five boys. It also, as Nick would say, scarred them for life. Later that week, John called Chuck and the others to be at his store after school. It was part of their punishment. John glared at the boys with such disappointment.

"*sigh* I usually do my best to avoid being the bad guy. However... you hurt my son, then I'm more than willing to be the bad guy." John said angrily glaring at the boys. "For the next month, Monday thru Friday, after school, you boys will all come here and clean up the shop. No whining. No complaining. No backtalk. Do anything wrong and I will go to your parents about it. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." The five boys said with their heads down.

John then walked off to leave them to the work. But he said one more thing to them.

"To think... my son only wanted to be a scout and part of a pack. Too bad it had to meet the wrong pack. What a waste." John said to them before walking off.

John is usually never that way to any. So to make him mad, it was surprising. But it goes to show how much he loves his son. The boys started to feel lower and lower for what they did. Things would own get from bad to worst for them. As time pass, things started to notice things were getting strange in school. All the kids started giving them the stink eye as they walked to their classes.

"Wh... why is everyone staring at us?" Darwin asked looking scared.

"You don't think they all know, do ya?" Wilfred asked.

Will all the glare, that was a definite possibility. They could hear some of the others kids whispering about them.

"Some nerve they got showing up to school."

"You heard what they did."

"Monsters."

"Bet they would muzzle prey mammals too."

Yep. No doubt that they all know what they did now. The kids, even some of the ones they would call friends, have completely blackballed them. The 5 boys were hating it. Everyone was seeing them as if they were these criminals.

Later that day, a polar bear boy around the age of 10 lifted Chuck and slammed him to a wall. A few other prey and predator kids were beside the polar bear. Phillip and the others just watched in frozen terror.

"Grrrrr. You have some nerve for doing what you did." The polar bear said in anger.

"Pl... please. Stop." Chuck said scared for himself.

"Or what? You muzzle me? Just like those other ones?" The polar bear asked. He then went closer to Chuck's face. "The only reason I'm letting you go is to prove to you that we are not what you think we are."

The polar bear then let go of Chuck. Phillip, Ed, Darwin, and Wilfred all went over to Chuck and lifted him up.

"Let's get out of here. **They aren't worth it.** " The polar bear kids said to all the others kids with him.

So just like that, the polar bear and all the other kids left. Chuck broke down in tears. But it wasn't because the polar bear hurt him physically. It was because what he said at the end. **"They aren't worth it."** It wasn't the first time someone said that to them. But it surely wasn't gonna be the last time.

Everyone continued to hate the five of them for what they did. Even when they were trying to apology for what they did, others just wouldn't hear it. The others would make sure none of them ever forgot what they did was horrible. The principal and teachers even gave them glares. Adults usually don't tolerate that kind of behavior.

Day in and day out they would have to deal with this. Being hated at school, having to clearing up the shop and then heading home. Things weren't that good for them home either. Their own parents wouldn't really say anything to them. Only that they were so disappointed in them. If there is anything that hurts them more, it their own parents saying that they were disappointed in them. Which would hurt any child. Chuck, Phillip, Ed, Darwin, and Wilfred have been through a lot and it was only growing more painful with each passing day. That ends the boys' flashback.

"That's... everything that's happen with us." Chuck said to Nick.

Nick really felt pain for all of them. Hearing about everything, the hate in school, their parents being disappointed in them. That would be too much for him to even handle. Judy and Finnick, who heard everything and told the others what they heard them say, were also a bit sad for them. Judy, Gazelle, Flash, and Ben shed a few tears. Finnick, Ronnie, Audran, and Falisha all tried their best not to.

"Wow. Just... I don't... I don't even know what to say." Nick said with his ears shifted down and feeling bad for them.

"You don't have to. This is what we deserve, right?" Phillip said. "But... after everything, we realized something."

"People are judging us because what we did was wrong." Darwin said. "While people judge you when in reality... you haven't done anything wrong at all."

Nick's eyes widen when he hears that.

"We believe the stories we heard about predators in the past and fear that it might happen again. But we realized that the past was in the past. Like you said before, no mammal is really what they are." Chuck said. "We just... we just figured it out too late." Chuck said as he puts his head back down.

"We wronged you, Ben, Ronnie, Mervin, and other predators outside of the scouts. We thought we were doing the right thing keeping predators away, but the truth of the matter is that we were becoming the predators that we wanted to keep away." Wilfred said sadly.

"We're sorry, Nick. About everything. Truly... truly... sorry." Chuck said sadly.

Nick could tell that they really met it. Even after they apology the first time, Nick still had anger for all five of them. As time went by, it slowly faded away. Yet a lot of it was still inside him. But after hearing everything the boys just said, how could Nick stay angry at them? How could anyone stay angry at them?

"Listen. There is something I need to say to the five of you. It... was hard for me to even think about saying this. But now is the perfect time to say it." Nick said to them. "Ed... Wilfred... Darwin... Phillip... Chuck... I forgive you."

The boys all lifted their heads up and looked at Nick shocked to hear him said those words. "I forgive you." Three words that they didn't expect to hear.

"What?" Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Ed, and Wilfred said shocked.

"Didn't you hear me? I forgive you guys." Nick said. "I don't want to stay angry with you guys and after hearing what you guys have been through, I don't think I can stay angry with you. You guys also came clean and try to make up for it with us." Nick then stood up from the stair he was sitting on. "It you want things to go better for you, you have to stay positive. Sure, there is no turning back and it may seem like everyone is against you, but what do you expect? Zootopia wasn't built in an day. So it won't take a day for them all to forgive you. What matters is what you do day after day to make up for it. Now, are you gonna keep running away from your problems or deal with them?"

The boys all looked at each before answering Nick.

"Deal with them." The boys said.

"Good answer." Nick said with a smile. "It might be tough, but if you stay strong, if you stay true, then there is nothing to worry about."

"Is it really that simple?" Chuck asked.

"All I can tell you that it's been working for me." Nick said with a smirk.

"Haha! I guess it has." Chuck said starting to smile. "Thanks, Nick."

"No problem." Nick said smiling. "So... are you all feeling better?"

"A bit, yes." Phillip said getting up. The same for the others.

Seems like Chuck and the others were all feeling better now. It looked like Nick forgiving them made things a bit easier for them. And with Nick forgiving them, it didn't seem hard for everyone else to do the same.

"Glad you guys are okay." Judy said.

"Yeah. We're worried about you." Benji said.

"You... shouldn't... have... run... away... from... home." Flash said.

"Hey everyone. Sorry if we made you worry." Phillip said sincerely.

"It's fine." Finnick said. "Listen, about what I said before. Sorry. I was a bit heated."

"It's okay." Phillip said accepting Finnick's apology.

"I just wished that Mervin was with you. We really need to apology to him." Chuck said.

"Well... it's a good thing he's not too far." Nick said.

"Huh?" Everyone else said seeing that Mervin was nowhere nearby.

"Hey Mervin, you gonna come out or what?" Nick shouted out.

Then from the other side of the staircase came out Mervin with his paws in his hoodie pocket. Everyone was a bit surprised to see him.

"Hey." Mervin said lightly.

"How did you know he was here?" Judy asked Nick.

"Fox nose." Nick said pointing at his nose. "I notice his scent for some time."

"The... window in my room was open. So I heard that part about you guys saying that these guys ran away." Mervin stated. "After I heard that, this was the first place I check. But... I didn't know what to say. So I just stayed behind the stairs."

So Mervin was here the whole time. He just didn't know what to say to them.

"Mervin, listen... we're..." Chuck said.

"No. Please let me say one more thing." Mervin said with his paw up. He then takes a deep breathe before speaking. "I hated you all for what you did to me and others predators. I kept that hatred for so long I didn't want to let go of it. But... after hearing what you all have been through... man, I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"But... yesterday you said..." Chuck said.

"That was the anger talking. I didn't mean to go that far. I was being a total nark. " Mervin admitted. "Sorry about that."

"You don't need to apology." Darwin said.

"We never should have muzzled you." Wilfred said.

"We're really sorry." Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Ed, and Darwin said sincerely and bowing their head down.

"Alright. Alright. No more saying you're sorry." Mervin said. "You're forgiven, okay? I don't want to stay mad at you guys either. Nick mentioned something about anger turning bitter when you grow. Don't want that. This hyena doesn't do bitter. Nope nope nope."

"Right." Chuck said. "So... friends?"

"Not yet. You still won't get off that easy." Mervin said. "If you really want to earn my friendship, then you have to earn it. I'm pretty sure everyone else will say the same thing. Right, guy?"

Nick, Judy and the others simply nodded.

"That... seems fair." Chuck said.

"I know it is. I'm a..." Mervin said.

"Firm and fair hyena?" Chuck asked with a sly smile.

"How did you..." Mervin asked wondering how they knew he was going to say that.

"Nick already used that." Phillip said pointing back at Nick.

"But unlike you, he can call himself a triple F. You can only call yourself a double F and H." Darwin said.

"We can't all be foxes like Nick." Mervin said crossing his arms and pouting a bit.

"Not sure if that was an compliment or insult." Nick said feeling he should be insulted.

"Have you met yourself, Nick? Trust me when I say this. It was a compliment." Mervin said with a smile.

"Guess I am pretty awesome." Nick said boasting a bit.

"Seriously, you're making all us foxes look good, City Boy." Gideon said happily while placing his arms on Nick's shoulder.

"No doubt about that." Judy said with a smile.

"So... we all good here?" Nick asked hoping all the tension was gone.

"Juuuust one more thing." Mervin said.

"What's that?" Nick asked.

A second later, Mervin started to do some light laughter. Then it started changing into very hearty laughter as he grabbed his chest. His laughter confused everyone.

"Uhhh... why are you laughing?" Falisha asked.

" **Some bunny! A-peeling! M-pressive!** " Mervin responded still laughing. These were the punchlines in each of Nick's jokes.

"Mervin, have you been holding back your laughter from my jokes this whole time?" Nick asked a bit surprised.

"Yup. Wasn't in a laughing mood until now." Mervin said. "Why'd you asked?"

Everyone realized that Mervin was a... bizarre hyena. But it wasn't like everyone else in this whole group wasn't bizarre or a bit of a misfits. So eventually, everyone else broke into laughter as well. Of course, Mervin joined in the laughter too. It was one first time in a while that everyone had a good laugh. The laughter than stopped when Mervin remembered something.

"Oh fudge! That's right I almost forgot." Mervin said as he stopped laughing. "Nick, what about your dad?"

"Oh yeah. I told pop I would be okay with whatever his choice is." Nick said looking sad.

"Even if you're not okay with it?" Mervin asked looking concern.

"It's not that I don't want my dad to open up Suitopia. But I also don't want him to work with someone like Lupuscis." Nick stated.

"Hmmm..." Chuck said while scratching his chin. "Actually, I been doing some thinking."

"Huh?" Nick said bringing his attention to Chuck.

"What if there was a way your pop can still get the money for Suitopia AND still not work with someone like Lupuscis?" Chuck asked.

"Huh?" Everyone else said looking confused.

"Nick, I think I have an idea." Chuck said.

"Really, what is it?" Nick asked.

"Well... the idea... it's kinda sneaky." Chuck said.

"Annnnd that should bother me how?" Nick asked not caring about how sneaky it may be. "Now out with it."

"Okay. For my plan we to..." Chuck said before remembering something. "Hold on. We need your dad to be on board with this too. Otherwise, the plan is unless."

"How much time before your dad meets up with Lupusicis?" Phillip asked.

"About... less than an hour from now." Nick said.

"Then we better get back over there." Judy said.

"Okay." Everyone else said.

"Explain your plan on the way." Nick said to Chuck. "Now let's go go go."

The kids then all started to run back to Nick's house, hoping they could make it before Lupuscis showed up.

About a hour had passed. At the front of the Wilde's shop was the big CEO himself, Alexander Lupuscis. With him were two antelopes in suits and ties like him, holding some suitcases. Lupuscis and his associates entered the store and on the cashier desk was Frankie, as well as Stu and Bonnie. Frankie didn't seem to be fond about meeting him.

"Alexander Lupuscis, I presume." Frankie said with a serious expressions.

"You must be Johnathan's wife, Francine Wilde. My. You are just as beautiful as I imagine." Lupuscis said trying to sound suave.

"Hmpt! You don't need to tell me what I already know." Frankie said a bit smug.

"Who are these two?" Lupuscis asked looking at the two bunnies.

"Stu and Bonnie Hopps." Bonnie said.

"Two good friends of the Wildes." Stu said firmly while crossing his arms.

"He's even friends with bunnies? Haha! Johnathan's really something else." Lupuscis said smiling.

"You don't need to tell us what we already know." Stu said still sounding firm.

"You're here to see my husband, right? He's downstairs at his workshop." Frankie said.

"Ah. I see. Thank you." Lupuscis said sounding grateful.

So he and his two antelope associates walked down to the basement. As he walked down the stairs, Stu and Bonnie felt very uncomfortable after meeting someone like Alexander Lupuscis.

"That guy makes my whiskers stand straight." Stu said.

"I know what you mean." Bonnie said agreeing with Stu.

Meanwhile, down on the basement was John, in a blue suit, looking ready to talk. Lupuscis moves in front of John and stopped near him.

"Lupuscis." John said.

"Wilde." Lupuscis said. "So... are we ready to make a deal?"

"Before I do, I want to know everything you're offering again." John said.

"Boys!" Lupuscis said snapping his right paw. The antelopes opened up their suitcases and took out some paperwork. Lupuscis took on of the papers. "It's all written here, Johnathan. The loan, all the benefits we are giving you, plans for the future of Suitopia. Everything. All you need to is sign here." Lupuscis show John where to put his signature.

John was feeling pretty tempted to sign the paper. Yet...

"Lupuscis, I have a question for you." John said to Lupuscis.

"I'm a busy man, Johnathan. But what is it?" Lupuscis asked.

"How do you think respect is earned?" John asked.

"Respect, huh? That's simple enough to answer. It's earned by power." Lupuscis said. "We may be evolved, Johnathan, but we are still a group of animals fighting for survival. Only the strong and the ones with power make it in this city. If you don't have it, your just another face in the crowd getting disrespected and scraping from the bottom."

John started having a mixed expression on his face from what Lupuscis just said.

"I see. So that's what you think." John said with his head down.

"Now... are you ready to sign?" Lupuscis asked getting a pen out.

"Yeah... about that... I don't think I can sign this." John said with his back up.

"What?" Lupuscis said looking bit a shocked.

"You think respect is earned by power. But I believe respect is earned by hardwork and dedication. People respect someone that works hard all their life and have their success come to fruition." John said.

"While I understand your opinion, but I think you're making a huge mistake, Wilde." Lupuscis said looking a bit angry. "Do you honestly believe that sticking with your ethnics will help you get by?"

"Excuse me?" John said starting to look mad.

"You already know all too well how this city feels about foxes? Nobody trusts you because of what you are. It doesn't matter how honest you are, you are always gonna get the short end of the stick." Lupuscis stated. "Wouldn't you rather be on top of everything and have everything that you and your family deserved? It's not like anyone would make this very same deal with a fox."

"Grrrrr..." John growled.

"Now... sign the paper. I won't be asking again." Lupuscis said sounding serious.

"You know what? I was starting to doubt my choices. But now... you cleared things up for." John said before sounding bold. "I don't care how much you are offering. I won't sign anything for the likes of you. You believe that the world is out to get us foxes and you think you're doing me a favor. But I know the world isn't against us foxes. My family and I are living proof of that. My son wants to grow and help change things for the better. But I can't let him be the only one to do it. I want to do everything I can to change peoples thoughts about foxes... and other predators too. But you... working for someone like you, someone who thinks like you, will bring me no closer to that goal. I'll make Suitopia happen one day... and I don't need you to do it, Lupuscis."

This has to be the boldest John has ever been in his life. Choosing to reject Lupuscis's deal right in front of his face. You can guess that Lupuscis wasn't too happy about that.

"I am disappointed in you, Wilde. Here I was thinking you were this smart man. But you are really a fool." Lupuscis said insulting John.

"I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a fool. I'm also not a dumb." John said firmly. "You didn't think I did my research on you and your company? It surprised me how some of the investment you made failed, yet your company seems to still be stable."

"The strong ones overcome the weak ones, Wilde. That was always nature's rule since before evolving." Lupuscis stated.

"Even if it means crushing the weak just to get your way?" John asked looking very mad.

"Especially when it comes to that." Lupuscis said. He then started smirk and looking down at John. "It's such a shame too. You could have been on top with me. You just had to be too weak-hearted. This city is gonna take everything from you and then eat you alive."

You think that John didn't like any of the things that Lupuscis has just said to him. Yet... John had his usual wide smile on his face. With a hit of slyness.

"What's with that grin?" Lupuscis asked.

"Oh nothing. I just heard everything I needed to hear." John said slyly. He then looks at a corner where some boxes were. "Did you kids get all that?"

Out from behind those boxes came out Nick, Judy and Chuck. Judy was happen to be holding her carrot recorder pen again.

"Loud and clear, pop." Nick said happily.

"You?!" Lupuscis said stunned to see Nick.

"Hello again, Mr. Lupuscis. Sorry that things didn't go the way you expected it." Nick said in a sly matter. "Say Carrots, mind playing the recording?"

"Of course not." Judy said happily as she pressed the button on her pen playing the recording.

"The strong ones overcome the weak ones, Wilde. That was always nature's rule since before evolving."

"Even if it means crushing the weak just to get your way?"

"Especially when it comes to that. It's such a shame too. You could have been on top with me. You just had to be too weak-hearted. This city is gonna take everything from you and then eat you alive."

"Oooooh. Well... that doesn't sound very nice, guys." Chuck said to Nick and Judy similar to the matter they did with him and the others.

"Sure doesn't. I don't think people would like to work with a CEO who talks like that." Judy said slyly.

"I sure wouldn't." John said just as slyly.

Lupuscis looked a bit angry with the idea of some kids having a pretty spot-on recording of what he said. Yet, Lupuscis tried to keep his composure and fixed his tie a bit.

"Not bad, Wilde. However, you gonna need more than just some danky little recording to put this wolf over the ledge." Lupuscis said confidently as if they didn't had anything on him. "The recording from a little toy pen isn't enough. It could literally anyone with those same voices. So... you got nothing on me."

"Hmmm... true audio isn't much." John admitted while shrugging a bit. He then started smirking again. "But what about video proof?"

"What?" Lupuscis said looking shocked.

Out from another stack of boxes came out one of Judy's sister, Cammy holding a camcorder. She was also with Finnick, Mervin, and Gideon.

"And... boom. Got it all." Cammy said holding the camcorder. "Cammy with the camera is now Cammy with the camcorder."

"Haha! Nice." Mervin said laughing a bit.

"Oh, look at that. Seems that we have both audio AND video proof now." Finnick said smirking.

"Grrrrr..." Lupuscis growled angrily.

"Hmpt! Looks like you're a bit closer to that ledge, Lupuscis." John said smirking.

"Sir, if any of this goes public, it could ruin our entire company." One of the antelopes said.

"I'm well aware." Lupuscis said sounding mad.

"Well... it seems like you have a bit of a problem." John said crossing his arms.

"So... is this your style? Blackmail?" Lupuscis asked.

"Of course not. But you twisted my paw. Now... I believe that we have new terms to discuss." John said.

"*sigh* What do you want?" Lupuscis asked.

"Remember the original loan deal from the first time? I want that. But while I do want the money, I don't want you or your company involved in any way with me." John said.

"You're not gonna ask for double of that?" Lupuscis asked a bit stunned.

"I can do fine with just half of that. Asking you for me would just make me feel greedy." John stated.

"So... you expect me to just give you the money, no questions asked?" Lupuscis asked.

"Either that or we can settle this in court. But you should know, with audio evidence, visual evidence, and the several children witnesses in this very room..." John said as Benji and some of the other kids came out of hiding. "... might make your case a bit hard. Have you seen Judy? Adorable, isn't she?"

"Grrr... how am I suppose to believe you won't just use the information on me later?" Lupuscis asked.

"You don't. You will just have to trust in my honest nature that I will keep my word." John said crossing his arms. "So... what's it gonna be?"

Lupuscis felt that he was in a corner. Usually he would be the one on the other end of this. But it seems that John the kids had him beat. Without any real plan on what to do, Lupuscis could only do one thing. Give in to the demands of John Wilde.

"*sigh* Write him the check." Lupuscis said to one of his antelope associates.

Hearing those words, put a smile on John's face. Same for the kids. They all had an epic victory. As one of the antelopes finish writing the check, Lupuscis took it to give to John with a angry and defeated face.

"Pleasure doing business with you." John said happily taking the check. "For the record, it didn't had to be this way. Next time, be a better person." Now, I believe my wife will show you the way out. John said as he pointed at the way out.

Still hating the taste of defeat, Lupuscis and his associates left the basement. After they did, John, Nick, and all the other kids were super happy.

"Well kids, your plan worked like a charm. Might take a lot more work, but with this money, I can finally work on making Suitopia a reality." John said happily.

"That's great news, pop." Nick said happily. "But this plan was all Chuck's."

"Well... the carrot pen worked on us. So I thought the same trick would work on him." Chuck said. "But Nick, you were the one up with the idea to record the whole thing in video as well."

"Always good to come up with a backup plan." Nick said smiling slyly. "Thanks for the help, Cammy."

"No problemo. Glad to help." Cammy said happily. "Thanks for letting me use your camcorder, Mr. Wilde. I can still keep this, right?"

"A deal's a deal." John said happily.

"Sweet!" Cammy said pumping her fist. "

Meanwhile, Frankie already made sure Lupuscis and his associates left the store.

"I never had to say this to anyone before. So it brings me great pleasure to say you are no longer to allowed in 'Wilde and Son's Tailoring.'. Frankie said with a smirk.

With that said, she closed the door on them. Of course, Lupuscis was beyond peeved.

"Ugghhh! I can't believe Wilde and his brat." Lupuscis said in anger. "This isn't over. I'll make them pay for this. All of them."

As he said that, large shadows began to surround him and his antelope associates. He turns around to see that it's two large polar bears in black suits. The two were Mr. Big's bodyguards. They didn't seem to happy with Lupuscis.

"What do you goons wants?" Lupuscis asked the polar bears.

Later, the polar bears dragged him to Mr. Big's place and were holding him over a trap door of ice and freezing water. Seems that Mr. Big was planning to "ice" Lupuscis. Lupuscis didn't want that and started begging for his life.

"Please! Please! Don't ice me." Lupuscis said in a panic state.

"Hmpt! If you really don't want to go for a cold swim, you'll listen well." Mr. Big said to him. "You will stay away from the Wildes. You got that? If anything were to happen to them, ANYTHING at all, I will be holding you responsible. Capiche?

"Ca... Capiche!" Lupuscis said frantically.

The polar bears covered the ice pit and put Lupuscis down.

"You're lucky that Johnathan Wilde is the kind of man that wouldn't approve of something like this." Mr. Big said. "Just remember, anything to the Wildes, you... swimming with the fishes."

"Ye... yes sir!" Lupuscis said thankful that he wasn't gonna die today.

Which goes to show you that it pays to be friends with a crime boss. Lupuscis did what Mr. Big said and stayed away from the Wildes. John and his family knew nothing about Mr. Big being a crime boss. Buuut... at least he liked them.

The next day, it was a teacher's work day. So all kids had the day off. Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed went back to their homes and their parents were glad they were okay. They were grounded of course for running away, but after Nick, Judy, and the others talked to each of the parents to ease up. After listening to them, they all agreed that they may have been too hard on their kids. It may also have been their faults for raising them to be so negative about predators. So things were finally getting better for the five boys. They all were called to Nick's house to meet him down at the basement. As they are invited in by Frankie, the five boys go down the stairs of Nick's basement.

"Wonder why Nick called us for?" Phillip asked.

"Maybe he just wanted to thank us for helping him again." Wilfred said.

"More than that, actually." A voice down from the basement said. It was Nick's voice.

Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed looked and noticed that Nick and the others were all wearing their scout uniforms and Judy wearing her police costume.

"What's... going on here?" Chuck asked a bit stunned to see everyone in their uniforms. Nick then stepped forward.

"Chuck... Phillip... Darwin... Wilfred... Ed... as leader of the Zoo-Burrow Scouts and by unanimous vote, I hearby take you five off of probation." Nick said happily.

"What?" Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred and Ed said stunned.

"So... you mean..." Chuck said.

"Yep. You guys are now official members of the Zoo-Burrows scouts." Judy said happily.

"We feel that you guys earned it." Finnick said.

"Welcome aboard." Mervin said.

"Alright!" The five boys shouted out happily. "Thanks!"

"Sure. You guys being full-member now is the least we can do for you." Nick said. "However, you have to remember that this is your last chance. Do anything wrong and we will have to receive the worst punishment possible."

"Judy's brothers and sisters wrapping us up in rope?" Chuck asked.

"Worst. Getting yelled at... by my mom." Nick said.

The boys all felt chills down their spines.

"We will be good. We swear!" The boys all said as they got down on their knees and begged a bit.

"Dudes, are you really that scare of my mom?" Nick asked them looking a bit confused.

"Yes." The boys said firmly.

"Huh. These guys are learning." Finnick said smirking.

"Don't tell me you guys are scare of her too?" Nick asked.

"Sometimes." Benji admitted.

"Only a bit." Finnick said.

"Ehhhhhhh..." Mervin went.

"Not... all... the... time." Flash said.

"*sigh* And these guys are my friends." Nick said with his paw on his face.

"Be thankful you have them." Judy said.

So... things worked out. The kids helped put Lupuscis in his place, John now has the money he needs for Suitopia, and former Junior Scouts are now part of the Zoo-Burrow Scouts. It seem that things were finally get good again.

 **And that's the end of this three parter. Sorry this took so long. But like I said, this was a long chapter. Stories not over. Still more chapters and stories to come. Til next time.**


	26. Chapter 24: Post Pregnancy Memories

**Sup, guys! Yep! Quickest update ever. First off, O-M-Goodness! This story now has 100,000 views. This... this is mind-blowing for me. Thank you all for like this story so much. Anyway, here's another new chapter that's a little different. One of the things I love to do for this story is to put the main focus on the parents. But this chapter is not only a chapter on the parents, but a flashback chapter. These stories will take place before Nick and Judy were born and what their parents do during the times they were pregnant with them. I feel that this will be a nice little chapter. Light and not too intense like my recent chapters. Two nice little side stories. Each about a family. Let's get to them.**

* * *

A few years ago, the recent newlyweds, John and Frankie Wilde have been living in their nice little apartment in Downtown Zootopia. The two have only been married for a month and they were already pretty happy together. A nice couple in their mid 20's, sharing their new lives with each other. John, wearing a light blue polo shirt and black pants, was in the living room busy writing letters to their family and friends for all the wedding gifts they received. They have had quite a lot.

" _Thank you for the new toaster, Aunt Mavel. It will really help our bread stay nice and toasty. Love, John and Frankie._ " John said as he writes that done.

John then folded the letter up and put it in an envelope. He licked it, then closed it. As he did that, Frankie, wearing a light purple shirt and a long blue skirt, slowly walks into the room. Frankie had a bit of nervous expression on her face. She also looked like she was hiding something behind her back.

"Uhhh... Johnathan?" Frankie said nervously.

"Hellooooooo, my beautiful wife." John said joyfully. "Haha! I just love to call you that. My wife. Haha! Good news, I've finally finished the letters to everyone who gave us wedding gifts."

"That's great. But... Johnathan, I need to talk to you about something important." Frankie said sounding a bit serious.

"Whoa! To call me Johnathan twice, something must be up." John said looking concern. "Alright, what's wrong?"

"Do you... remember our honeymoon?" Frankie asked.

"Ah haha... haha! Of course! It was quite a productive night for the both of us." John said with a big grin. "Why do you ask?"

"Well... while we were being 'productive', something... else happened." Frankie said.

Frankie then revealed what she was holding behind her. It was a pregnancy test. John froze after seeing it. He knew Frankie wouldn't be acting the way she was if it didn't have something to do with the results.

"Is that a..." John said.

"Uh huh." Frankie said.

"Is it..." John said.

"Uh huh." Frankie said.

"So you're..." John said.

"Uh huh." Frankie said again.

"You're gonna be an..." John said.

"Uh huh." Frankie said again.

"I'm gonna be an..." John said.

"Uh huh." Frankie said again.

"We're gonna be..." John said.

"Uh huh." Frankie said again.

So... Frankie was pregnant. John and Frankie were gonna be parents. Several thoughts were still going through John's head. It was a good thing he was already sitting down.

"Wow..." John simply said.

"Johnny, are you okay?" Frankie asked concerned for her husband. "How do you feel about this?"

"Wow... wow... wow..." John kept saying. He then started looking really excited. "WOW!"

John then ran to Frankie and lifted her up in the air in excitement.

"THIS IS GREAT NEWS! YOU'RE GONNA BE A MOMMY! I'M GONNA BE A DADDY!" John shouted out excitedly.

"Woah! Easy, Johnny." Frankie said to John not wanting him to lift her so high.

"Oh. Sorry." John said putting her down.

"Johnny, this is still serious. I mean we talked about having kids, but this is so soon." Frankie said as they both sit down on the couch. "I mean, we just got married. I don't know if we are ready to raise a kid."

"What? I think we're ready." John said. "We just need to prepare ourselves a bit more before the baby arrives. A crib, baby clothes, diapers, baby food, a few parenting books,... future plans for school, ... saving up for college..." At that moment, John started adding up everything in his head. He was now starting to worried. "OH GOD! WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT DO WE DO?" John shouted out in a panicked matter. "We're not ready."

"Johnny, Johnny, calm down." Frankie said to her worried husband.

It seems that John was now the worried one. John was hyperventilating like crazy. Frankie had to really do her best to calm him down since it was starting to seem that John was thinking **he** was the pregnant one.

"Breath, Johnny. Breath." Frankie said holding John's paw.

"Okay." John said before breathing in and out.

"So... what do we do about this?" Frankie asked.

"Uhh... well... I love you... and I'm sure I'll love our child. It might be hard and a lot of work, but I'm sure we can handle it." John said. "What about you?"

"The same for me." Frankie said. "Nothing's ever easy, right?"

"Right." John said nodding. "Besides, I don't have to hear ma nag me about giving her grandkits."

"The same goes for me." Frankie said.

"Ooh! Ooh! Can I be the one to tell your dad. It will **kill** him to tell that you're holding his grandchild, who also happens to be a Wilde." John said smirking.

"Johnny, daddy doesn't hate you. I already told you this." Frankie said.

"You saw the looks he gave us at our wedding." John said angrily and puffing out his cheeks.

"He's just messing with you. I'm sure he'll be happy enough to hear that you and I are giving him a grandkit. Besides, we can make it so his behavior is based on how often he gets to see his grandbaby." Frankie said smirking.

"Hehehe... that's my girl." John said smiling widely. John then tightly holding on to Frankie's paw. "So... we're really gonna do this?"

"We're really gonna do this." Frankie said with a smile.

The two foxes agreed that they were gonna be okay and have their future child. They both had their worries, but they knew that everything was gonna be okay. They would both do their best to provide for their baby. John then placed his paws on Frankie's belly and looks at it.

"You hear that little one? Mommy and Daddy will do all they can for you." John said. "We can't wait to see you, baby boy. Or girl. Kinda hoping that you are a boy..."

"Johnny..." Frankie said raising an eyebrow.

"... But I will still love you all the same." John said joyfully. John then leans near Frankie's belly a bit more. "Psst! Be a boy. We'll have a load of fun together and I'll be the best daddy ever."

"Oh, Johnny..." Frankie said playfully shaking her head.

"Shhhh. Not now, sweetie. Daddy's talking to the baby." John said sincerely.

So, you can pretty much tell that both John and Frankie already loved Nick before he was even born.

Another place, at another time, there was also another expecting family. This family was all the way at Bunnyburrow and they were the Hopps. Stu and Bonnie Hopps have been married for a while and at a young age of 19. They are both currently in their mid 20's and already had quite a few kids. Around the numbers of 40 and 50 and they were already about to add more to their not-so-little family. Bonnie, wearing a sleeveless red flannel shirt and blue skirt, was sitting down on a chair and writing down a list of names. Stu, wearing his usual flannel shirt and blue overalls but no cap, then walks into the room.

"Hey there, Bon." Stu said greeting his wife.

"Hello." Bonnie said still focused on her list of names.

"What's that you are doing?" Stu asked.

"Coming up with the names for our next litter of kids." Bonnie said.

Stu took a look the list and saw about 30 or so names. Most of them were scratched off in pencil. It looked like Bonnie didn't like a few of the names she came up with.

"Isn't it still a little early to worry about that? I mean we just found out you were pregnant again. We have plenty of time before the young'uns show." Stu stated.

"I know. But you can never be too early." Bonnie said joyfully. "I want each of our kids to have a different name from each other. I also don't want their names to be to simple. I want each of them to have the perfect name."

"Guess I can understand that. But... uhhh looking at the list, seems like you're having quite a bit of problems." Stu stated.

"I just don't want ALL our kids to have names that are too... simple." Bonnie said. "Stu, do you have any names in mind?"

"Let me take another look at your list." Stu said picking up the list.

Some of the names on the list were... not the best names. Seriously, most of them didn't even seem like real names. Some of them were parts of two or three names put together. And the didn't even sound good.

"Wow! Some of these names are so..." Stu said trying not to sound insulting.

"Horrible?" Bonnie asked.

"I was gonna say... unique." Stu said trying to hold his tongue.

"Steward..." Bonnie said giving Stu a look.

"Okay. They're bad" Stu admitted. "I can just feel our kids being made fun of with these names."

"Stu, this is serious. What should one of the names be?" Bonnie pleaded.

"Maybe... we should start with something simple. Like the first letter of the name." Stu said. "How about... J? What good names can you think of that start with J?"

"Well, Jordan, Jacob, Jackie, Jane... but some of those are names we already gave our kids." Bonnie stated.

"Come on, Bonnie. Think. Isn't there any other name that comes to mind?" Stu asked.

Bonnie started pondering about it for a few seconds. After a while, one name did come to mind.

"How about Judith?" Bonnie asked.

"Judith? Judith." Stu said as he started to ponder it. "I like it. Can we also call her..."

"... Judy?" Stu and Bonnie asked at the same time.

"Hmm... Judy. Yes. I like that." Bonnie said smiling.

"Yeah. Judy. Jude. Jude the Dude. Haha. I can feel that catching on." Stu said happily while holding his overalls. "So I guessing we're going with Judith?"

"Yes." Bonnie said nodding. "Now for the middle name."

"Ugggghhh... can't our kids just not have middle names?" Stu asked complaining a bit.

"Don't worry. I think I already came with the perfect middle name. Laverne." Bonnie said.

"Laverne? Like one of your sisters, Laverne?" Stu asked. "The same Laverne who's also a crazy bunny."

"Stu! Laverne is not crazy." Bonnie said firmly.

"She is cause she's different from most bunnies. Age 30 and not married. She also chose to leave Bunnyburrow to travel around the world instead of just settling with what she had." Stu stated. "She's a odd one."

"Do not call my family odd, Steward." Bonnie said pointing a pencil at him.

"Yes, dear." Stu said apologizing to Bonnie.

"Laverne may be different from most bunnies, but she was still a good sister when we were growing up." Bonnie said. "I wouldn't mind if a few of our kids were like her."

"Seriously?" Stu asked.

"More or less." Bonnie answered. "I'd rather have all our kids settle just like you and me. But I do want them to be at least a little braver than the two of us. That's isn't a bad thing, is it?"

"I guess not." Stu admitted scratching the back of his head. "Laverne's not that bad of a name too. Judith Laverne Hopps. Judy Hopps."

"Sounds good to me too." Bonnie said happily.

"Well... add it to the list." Stu said.

" _Judith... Laverne..._ " Bonnie said as she writes down the name on her list. "Done."

"Great!" Stu said happily.

"Now we just have to think of names for the others." Bonnie said.

"That's... not so great." Stu said not looking too happy about that.

"Oh stop complaining and let's get to it." Bonnie said to Stu.

"Yes, dear." Stu said.

So that's how Judy got her name. Her parents never really worried about having kids. They only worried about what they could become grown up. Yet they still didn't worried about it. It wasn't like one of their kids was gonna change the world for the better, right? But what's in a name anyway?

 **That's all for this chapter. I hope you all find this to be a nice little chapter. Even without Nick and Judy really being in it. Next chapter is gonna be a really good one. Til then.**


	27. Chapter 25: Old Mansion Visit

**O... M... GOODNESS! Not only does this story now have over 320 faves, 400 followers, and over 500 comments, but this story is now featured on Zootopia News Network. I am feeling deeply... deeply moved by all the fans I have been getting. I will be sure to do my best to keep this story going and for everyone to keep loving it. Now, one thing I like to do for my story is to have the kids go on little adventures because of their curiosity. When you're a kid, your interest peaks at everything. For this chapter, Nick, Judy and a few of their friends check out an old and abandon mansion. I got the idea for this chapter from classic Scooby-Doo episodes, Uncharted 4, and The Last of Us. I thought it would be cool to do something like that. Let's see where this leads, shall we?**

 **Also, many thanks to Ziegelzeig for the new title picture. You're the best, Ziegy. :D Everyone, check his page on Deviantart.**

* * *

It was a nice Friday in Zootopia. School had just ended and Nick was walking out with his friends, Benji, Mervin, Ronnie, Audran, Falisha, Flash, Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Ed, and Wilfred. All of them seem thankful that it was the weekend.

"Annnnd we are free from another week of class." Nick said happily to his friends.

"This weekend could not have come faster." Benji said looking relieved.

"Agreed." Everyone else said.

"So... any of you guys wanna hang out some more?" Nick asked. "I'm meeting up with Finnick at Savanna Central."

"Uhh... me and the guys can't." Chuck said scratching the back of his head..

"Still 'kinda' grounded?" Nick asked.

"Still 'kinda' grounded." Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred and Ed said with their heads down.

"Well... good luck with that." Nick said to them.

"We'll try. See ya, guys." Phillip said.

"See ya." Nick and the others said.

So Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed left Nick and the others to head to their homes. The five of them were still grounded for running away. But at least they are still in good terms with Nick and the others. They been helping them make their lives a bit easier to handle. So far, it's been working.

"I can't come either. Hanging out with my brothers." Mervin said. "See ya tomorrow?"

"You know it." Nick said before bumping paws with Mervin.

Mervin then waved goodbye to everyone else and was on his way.

"So Flash, do you want me or Audran to help you home?" Ronnie asked the sloth.

"No... thanks. My... dad... is... picking... me... up." Flash said slowly.

"How long that's gonna take?" Audran asked.

As Audran said that, a cool looking blue car came to the front of the school. The kids noticed the driver was a sloth that looked a bit like Flash. The sloth honked the horn of the car.

"There's... my... dad." Flash said happily.

"That's... a really cool car." Falisha stated with her finger pointing at the car and having a surprised expression on her face.

"Hey, Mr. Slothmore!" Nick shouted out happily waving at Flash's dad.

"Hello... Nick." Mr. Slothmore said as he slowly waves at Nick.

"I'll help you to your car." Nick said to Flash.

Nick put Flash's arm around his shoulder and helped walked Flash to the car. Nick open the door for him and helped him sat down.

"See ya, Flash." Nick said with a smile.

"Later,... Nick." Flash said back to Nick.

The car door closed and the car drove off. It bit... faster than expected for someone would was a sloth driver. Everyone one, except for Nick, was a bit dumbfounded.

"Ah... wha... how..." Benji, Falisha, Audran, and Ronnie said all looking lost for words.

"Guys, it helps not to overthink it." Nick said to them.

"Guess that explains the wagon." Falisha said recalling the time Flash was fast in a wagon.

"We're gonna head home too." Ronnie said. "Papa bear wants more Father-Son time."

"I have a thing too. But we're catch up with you tomorrow." Audran said.

"Alrighty then." Nick said bumping both Audran and Ronnie's fist and hoof.

So Audran and Ronnie left and now it was just Nick, Benji and Falisha.

"What about you, Benny? Finnick and I were planning to head to the _candy stoooore_." Nick said singing a bit when he mentioned candy store.

"You had me at _candy_." Benji said joyfully.

"In that case, I'll join in too. Tiger needs her sweets." Falisha said wanting to come too.

"Great!" Nick said clapping his paws together. "Let's go."

So Nick, Benji, and Falisha made their way to Savanna Central. They later met up with Finnick and the four kits went to one of the local candy stores. The kids left the candy store each with their own bags of candy. Nick's bag was mostly filled with gumballs and fruit chews. Benji's bag had a few chocolate bars and lollipops. Finnick's bag was mostly filled with jawbreakers and candy coated chocolate pieces. Lastly, Falisha's bag had some red licorice and some hard candies. Currently, each of them were enjoying their candies. Yet, Finnick was curious about one thing.

"You know, there's one thing I don't get. I've been pass that candy store several times and could never get in because they didn't allow foxes. They even had a sign." Finnick stated.

"Not anymore. Pop went to Mr. Big and he got one of his associates to speak with the store owner. You know, one of those lawyer-type guys. Anyway, he said stuff about breaking kids' hearts and discrimination being bad for business. After hearing that ... boom! Sign gone, foxes allowed." Nick said while having some more of his candy.

"Nice! Seems like Mr. Big likes doing a lot for your family." Finnick said.

"Guess he likes to think of us as family." Nick said smiling.

"Good to know things are going well for you, Nick." Benji said happily.

"Speaking about your pops, I forgot to ask. How's his plans for Suitopia going?" Finnick asked.

"Great! But pop still has a LOT of work to do." Nick said. "Since he's not working with Lupuscis, he has to do much more of the work himself. He needs to find a spot to built it, people to help built it, permits, employees when it opens, you know... that kind of junk."

"Sounds like an awful lot of work for one fox." Falisha said as she takes a bite of one of her licorice. "When's your dad planning to open it up?"

"Not for a few another few years. But hey, Zootopia wasn't built in a day, right? Besides, pop has mom to help him out every step of the way. No worries." Nick said.

"Look at you... sounding all positive." Finnick said smirking.

"Life's been good to me. How can I not be positve." Nick said smiling.

Nick and the others then looked around and realized that they were at an area that they were all unfamiliar with. The area they were in had quite a few expensive looking houses and apartments.

"Hey... uhh... do any of you guys know where we are?" Benji asked.

"Whoops! Must have made a wrong turn. I think we're in the rich part of town." Nick stated.

"Rich is right. Are you guys seeing some of the places in this neighborhood?" Finnick asked.

"Makes most of our places look like a dump." Falisha said.

"Might as well look around a bit more while we are all here." Nick said to his friends.

They walked around and then one of the places that peaks their interest that was this big mansion. The mansion was huge and in was in elephant sized standards. But the mansion was very old looking and seemed abandon. There was also a big black gate in front of it. No lock.

"Woah! Check out that." Nick said pointed at the mansion as he runs to the gates. "It's the biggest mansion I have ever seen. It looks like it even puts the houses in Bunnyburrow to shame."

"Judging by the state, it seems that no one's lived here for quite some time." Finnick said.

"Oh. I think I know this place." Falisha said. "This was the mansion of Alina Trunkson. One of the richest mammals in Zootopia. Of her time that is."

"Alina Trunkson? Who was she?" Benji asked looking curious.

"She was an elephant. You can tell by her mansion that she did pretty well." Falisha said.

"I'll say." Finnick said admiring it.

"Alina Trunkson died like... over 50 years ago. So like before any of our parents were even born. She also had no living family and she didn't leave ownership to anyone in her will. So no one owns this mansion or the things in it." Falisha said.

"Cool. I would love to see the inside." Nick said.

"Well it's not like you can't. There is no 'No Trepassing' sign and from what I heard, people check it out all the time." Falisha stated.

"Huh. Interesting." Nick said starting to grin.

Benji noticed the big grin on Nick's face.

"Guys, Nick's having **that** look again." Benji stated with a worried look on her face.

"*sigh* We're totally gonna go into that mansion tomorrow, are we?" Falisha asked.

"Yes we are." Nick said smirking.

"Saw that coming." Finnick said with a straight face.

"Me too." Benji said also with a straight face.

"It was bound to happen." Falisha said with a straight face as well.

Meanwhile at Bunnyburrow, at the Hopps household, Judy and a few of her siblings were watching some TV in the living room. Stu called out to Judy from one of the other rooms.

"JUDY! THE PHONE'S FOR YOU!" Stu shouted out.

"Ooooh! I wonder who it is." One of little Judy's brothers said slyly.

"I bet it's Nick." One of Judy's little sisters said before giggling.

"Hey! It could be any one of my friends." Judy stated firmly.

"IT'S NICK!" Stu shouted out.

"Oooooooh!" Judy's brothers and sisters said teasing her some more.

Judy groaned and looked all pouty. Judy didn't say anything to her siblings, she just jumped out the couch and went to the other room to pick up the phone and talk to Nick. She grabbed the phone spoke.

"Hey... Nick." Judy said sounding irriated.

"Hey... Carrots. Uhh... are you okay? You sound uneasy." Nick said sounding concern from the tone of Judy's voice.

"You know how I would joke about wanting to be adopted by your parent? Well... that's starting to be less and less of an joke and more and more of a wish." Judy stated firmly. She then started sounding normal. "Anyway, what's up?"

"How would you like to go on an great adventure tomorrow?" Nick asked Judy.

"I'm all ears." Judy said smiling.

"Haha! Ears." Nick said laughing a bit.

"Nick..." Judy said not wanting Nick to joke around so much.

"Sorry." Nick said.

The next day, Nick called his friends to the basement like usual. Nick was with Judy, Benji, Finnick, Gideon, Gazelle, Flash, Audran, Ronnie, Mervin, Falisha, and suprisily, Judy's brother, Eric. The group wasn't in their uniforms, but they did all had bagpack with some supplies in them.

"Okay, everyone. You guys ready to adventure around Alina Truckson's mansion?" Nick asked everyone.

"Yeah. I was ready since you told me yesterday." Judy said excited.

"We got everything we needed packed."Benji said as he rustles through his bagpack. "Flashlights, snacks, back-up snacks, you know... the basics."

"Cause back-up snacks are considered the basics." Finnick said with a straight-face. "By the way, why is bunny girl's other brother here? I thought the twins the only other Zoo-Burrows scouts."

"They are. But when Judy mentioned 'haunted mansion', the two of them wussed out." Eric stated with his paws in his pants pockets.

"Soooo... you're coming because you're not scared?" Nick asked.

"Nope. I'm **totally** scared." Eric stated with a horrified face. "But a few of us drew straws and... I'm the loser."

"Come on, dude. This will awesome." Nick said sounding eager.

"I, for one, am very excited about this." Gazelle said sounding just as eager. "Oh, by the way everyone, I am proud to say that I am now **officially** fluent in English now."

The others happily began to clap.

"Great! Now we all need to be fluent in Spanish." Mervin said feeling that they needed to be fluent in another language like her. "Gazey, do you think you can teach us?"

"Sure... if you got a few couple of years." Gazelle said smirking.

"Ah ha. She's got jokes now." Finnick said smirking as well.

"Alrighty, if we got everything, let's..." Falisha said wanting to get going. She then was halted when someone called out in the room.

"WAAAIIITTT!" A female voice shouted out.

Everyone looked up at the stairs to see who it was. It was Judy's sister, Cammy. She had her camera around her neck and camcorder on her arms. As she walks down the last stair, she was a bit out of breathe.

"Oh... good. *huff* *huff* You're all still here." Cammy said holding on to the stair pole.

"Cammy?" Nick, Eric, and Judy said.

"Oh. You guys remember my sister, Cammy from before, right?" Judy asked everyone else.

"Hey./Howdy./Hello./Yo./Sup?/Hola." Falisha, Gideon, Benji, Mervin, Finnick and Gazelle said waving at Judy's sister.

"Hi again. Yeah, it's me. Cammy with the camera..." Cammy said waving the camera around her neck. "... AND camcorder." She said while lifting her camcorder a bit.

"We know. So... why are you here?" Nick asked.

"I wanted to tag along with you guys." Cammy said.

"Really?" Everyone else said a bit surprised.

"Uh huh." Cammy said happily nodding.

"You... do know we're head to an abandon mansion... which is possibly haunted, do you?" Eric asked expiticly.

"I know. It sound exciting and fun. Plus it's the perfect place to use my new camcorder." Cammy said.

"Actually, it's not really 'new'." Nick said using air quotes. "We actually stopped using that one cause we got a newer one."

"Either way, I'm not missing an oppunitity like this." Cammy said boldly.

"If you do want to come with us, then it's okay with us." Judy said smiling. "Right, guys?"

"Sure." Nick said.

"If she really wants to..." Eric said still sounding nervous.

"Eh. Why not?" Finnick said shrugging.

"Great!" Cammy said sounding excited. "I'll be sure to record anything interesting and take picture as well."

"Alright then. So, if we are all in agreement..." Nick said as he puts his bagpack on and stands up. "... let's get going."

"Aye aye!" The others said agreeing with Nick.

With that, the kids saddled up and left the basement to be on their way out the house. But before they did, Nick and Judy's parents called out to them as they were about to leave.

"Where are you kids heading off to?" Bonnie asked.

The kids all started to have frighten looks on their faces. Guess they thought it wouldn't be a good idea to tell the parents that they were gonna check out an abandon mansion.

"Uhhh... nothing." All the kids said trying not to suscious.

"Hmm... nothing, eh? That doesn't sound suscious at all." Frankie said raising an eyebrow.

"Really? So you kids aren't up to your usual _shenanigans_?" John asked with a sly smirk on his face.

"Whaaaaat? Shenanigans?" Nick said looking awkward and sounding nervous. "What shenanigans do we ever cause? We never get into shenanigans."

John, Stu, Frankie and Bonnie all looked at each other before looking back at the kids.

"Really?" The 4 parents said not believing the little fox.

"Selling popsicles without a permit and almost getting in trouble with the police, shenanigans." Frankie stated.

"Giving advice to all our young'uns and causing quite the riot in our household, shenanigans." Stu stated.

"Sneaking out to find out about Lupuscis and talk to him without our consent, what's the word, everyone?" John asked the other 3 parents.

"Shenanigans!" Stu, Frankie, and Bonnie shouted out.

All the kids realized that they DO get into a lot of shenanigans. Or rather... Nick was the one to always get into shenanigans.

"Seriously Nick, does trouble follow you wherever you go?" Finnick whispered to Nick.

"Okay... for the record, those all had good intentions." Nick stated trying to have a clean case.

"Nicky, if you and your friends are up to something big, you might as well tell us the truth." John said crossing his arms.

Nick knew he couldn't hide things from his parents for long. So he felt that if he was honest, they would all still let them go to Alina Trunkson's old mansion.

"We were gonna check out Alina Trunkson's abandon mansion in Savanna Central." Nick said honestly.

Nick and Judy's parents waited a whole second before responded by all saying "Okay.".

"Okay?" Nick and Judy said surprised to hear that.

"Yeah. You're kids and you have curiousity. Also, you were honest with us." Frankie said.

"Heck, to be honest with you, Frankie and I check that place out when we were not that much older than you guys were." John said. "So this will be a fun experience for you and your friends."

"Mom, dad, you're okay with this too?" Eric asked a bit surprised since Stu and Bonnie are usually the kind to worry a lot.

"Son, if there is **anything** we learned from the Wildes, is not to stress about every little thing." Bonnie said.

"As long you are all careful, it's fine with us." Stu told them. "Besides, we can't let John and Frankie always be the cool parents."

"So... you're really okay with this?" Eric asked again.

"Yes." Stu and Bonnie said.

"Are you **100%** sure?" Eric asked looking really concern. "Cause if you're not, then we..."

Gideon then picked up Eric and made his way out of the house with him.

"Alright, Eric." Gideon said lifting the bunny up. "They already gave us the okay. Don't let them change their minds."

"Ha ha. He's a little nervous." Judy said smiling awkwardly.

"Don't worry. We'll all be fine." Nick said to Stu, Bonnie, and his parents. "Well, bye mom and pop. Mr. and Mrs. Hopps."

With that said, all the kids were on their way. Leaving the four adults to themselves.

"Anyone else miss being that young and curious about the world?" John asked the others.

"Oh yes." Stu, Bonnie and Frankie responded.

As the adults reminisce about their younger days, the kids made their way to Alina's mansion. They all took the bus to get to Savanna Central and then walked for several minutes to the rich part of the district again and faced the gates of the huge mansion.

"We're here." Nick said to his friends.

"Wow! It's HUGE!" Judy said surprised at the size.

"Well it was owned by someone who was an elephant. Big mammal, big mansion." Falisha stated.

"Got to say, it's still in pretty decent conditions for an old mansion." Ronnie said looking impressed.

Cammy then got out her camcorder and started recording. She first put the carema on herself.

"Hello, everyone. Cammy with the camera here." Cammy said to the camera sounding excited. "Today, my friends, my brother and sister, and I are about head into the abandon mansion of an Alina Trunkson." She then pointed the camera at the mansion. "What will be in store for us? Who knows?"

Cammy then stopped recording her put her camcorder up.

"You seem really hyped for this." Judy said as she notices her sister's mood.

"Why would I not be?" Cammy said proudly.

"Looks like we got a bit of a walk." Nick said. He then opened up the gates. "Shall we?"

The kids then started walking down the long walkway to the mansion. As they did, the gang did some more talking.

"So City Boy, what do ya know about this Alina Trunkson lady?" Gideon asked.

"Ask Falisha. She's the one who knows about her." Nick said.

"Right. I did some more research on her yesterday." Falisha said. "So... Alina was this super rich packadurm. She inherited most of her huge fortune from her family. After both her parents died, they left her everything. The money, the mansion, and everything in it."

"Everything, huh? Makes me wish my folks were rich so I could inherite from them." Finnick said.

"Dude!" Nick said not too happy with what Finnick said.

"I was kidding. I don't want my folks to pass on." Finnick said to Nick. "It's not like they would have left me much anyway."

"Can I get back to talking about Alina?" Falisha asked.

"Sorry. Go on." Nick said wanting Falisha to continue.

"Anyway, she was also known to be quite the collector who love to travel. The treasures she like to collect were from different time periods So odds are, some of her treasures might still be there for us to see." Falisha stated looking pretty happy.

"Great." Judy said sounding very interested.

"So long as the place isn't haunted and filled with ghosts." Eric said still looking frighten.

"Dude, we'll be fine." Mervin said to Eric. "Not every mansion is haunted by ghost."

"Yeah. Worst case scenerio, if we do run into a ghost, Cammy can record it and we can become famous from it. Maybe even become rich ourselves." Nick stated.

"I like that idea." Finnick said liking the 'rich' part.

"But... ugh! Fine." Eric said looking pouty.

The kids climb up the tall flock and made it to the front door. The door was really huge. Then again, it did had to be tall enough for an elephant to live in. Judging the fact that most of the kids weren't... what you would call... tall, reaching the knob was gonna be a challenge.

"Aw jeez! We didn't think about the door." Nick said scratching the back of his head. Nick then notice something. The door did had a second knob for the... smaller mammals. "Look!" Nick said while pointing at the knob. "That knob looks reachable."

"Good eye, Slick." Judy said to Nick with a smile. "I got it."

Judy seem eager to try and open the door. But as most people already know, bunnies aren't exactly one of the taller mammals. Judy was also pretty much one of the shortest kids in the whole group besides Finnick. Judy tries to reach for the knob, but know luck. Ever her hopping for it wasn't enough.

"Come on, stupid... tall door knob." Judy said getting flustered.

Everyone else watched in their own amusement as Judy continued to try and reach for the knob.

"This is adorable." Nick said to his other friends smirking. "Carrots, you sure you don't need help?"

"No! I... got it." Judy said firmly as she still tried to reach for the knob.

Even though Judy didn't asked for Nick's help, he knew she still wanted it. So Nick walked up from behind Judy and lifted her up to his shoulders.

"Huh?" Judy said surprised to get the help.

"Come on. On my shoulders." Nick said to Judy. "I can handle it."

Judy carefully stood straight on Nick's shoulders. With Nick's help, Judy was high enough to reach for the knob to turn it and open the door.

"Got it!" Judy said excited.

"Alright." Nick said looking glad.

"For the record, I could had done it myself." Judy said to Nick.

"Mm hmm." Nick said slyly as he puts Judy down. "By the way, you're still **really** light. You sure you're eating enough?"

"Course she doesn't." Gideon said. "She's a bunny, so I reckon she eats like one."

"I eat enough." Judy said in a bit of a fret.

"You sure. Cause there are 9 people living at my house and we always go at each other at dinnertime. Also, we're biters." Mervin said. "So it must be even worst with almost 300 people living in the same house."

"I said I'm fine." Judy said puffing out her cheeks a bit.

"While we're at that subject, I got like... a thousand more questions about you bunnies." Finnick said. "Mainly why money doesn't seem to be a issue with you."

"Best not to overthink it." Eric said. "Trust us, even we don't know how we get by so well sometimes."

"Fine." Finnick said putting his paws into his packets.

"Anyway, we got the door open." Nick said happily as he open the door a bit more. "Now then..." Nick then started to have a heroic voice. " _Into the darkness to bring back the light._ "

"What?" Judy said confused that Nick said that.

"Into the darkness to bring back the light. It's what Hood says when he goes on a mission." Nick said to Judy referring to his favorite comic book hero.

"Well... nothing says darkness like a mansion that forgot to pay it's cable bill in the last couple of decades." Finnick said making a bit of a joke.

"Psssst... hahahaha!" Mervin laughted.

"Come on. Come on. Let's get in already." Cammy said sounding too excited.

So they all stepped into the mansion. The inside was what you would expect for an mansion owned by an elephant. Very, very huge. The interior from the inside was mostly white and marble walls. A few fancy walls and carpeting. It was a bit dusty and a few spiderwebs, but it was still looked pretty high class.

"Woooooah!" All the kids said in amazement.

"Quite a fancy place." Ronnie said. "A little dark though.

"Not for the noctural mammals with night vision." Nick said smirking.

"Same for me." Mervin said also having night vision as well.

"That's why the rest of us bought flashlights." Benji said as he puts down his bagpack and takes out a flashlight. The others did the same and turned them on. "There. Much better."

"Now, shall we begin the tour?" Nick asked everyone.

"We shall." Judy said looking eager.

The kids all began walking down the hallway. As they did, Cammy started recording with her camcorder.

"We have just enter the mansion and we are all now walking down this looooong hallway. Looks like its gonna be a while before we find something interested." Cammy said still recording everything.

The kids then entered a large hall with a tall spiral two-way staircase. The whole place looked a bit poise. There were even a fancy chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Also on the ground by the stairs were some knight armors in a different variety of animal sizes.

"*whistle* Check... it... out." Finnick said sounding impressed. "The fancy chandelier, the knight armors, the high staircase leading to the second floor. One word. Faaaancy."

"Such a big hall." Cammy said recording her surroundings. "This puts our house to shame. Beyond that even."

"I know." Judy said agreeing.

"Hey! Check out this suit of armor." Nick said looking excited.

Nick then walked over to one of the armors that was around fox height to get a closer look. Eric started to look a bit frighten.

"Woah woah woah! Easy, Nick." Eric said to Nick a bit frantic.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked.

"Careful not to get too close. Every cartoon I've seen with a haunted house always had armors that came to live and grabbed their victims." Eric said warning Nick.

"Really? You actually believe that?" Nick said looking unamused. He then moved the left arm of one of the armors around. "See? Nothing. This armor is not trying to gra..." As Nick said that... it looked like the arm actually grabbed Nick. Nick let out a loud shout. "AHHHHHH!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Everyone else screamed out.

It felt that the armor actually was alive. But they all knew it wasn't the case when Nick did this.

"Ahh... hahaha!" Nick said breaking into laughter. "GOTCHA!"

Seems like it was only a little prank by Nick. He only made it seem like it was trying to grab him. You can guess that his friends weren't too happy about his little joke.

"NICK!" Judy shouted out angrily.

"Not cool, man. Not cool." Ronnie said angry as well.

"You nearly gave a little bunny heart-attack." Eric said gripping his chest.

"Come on. I was just kidding." Nick said smiling in his usual sly matter.

"And again... LITTLE... BUNNY... HEART-ATTACK!" Eric stated sounding very peeved. "Seriously, bunnies hearts beat faster than other mammals."

"Really? Let me take a listen, eh?" Audran said as he lean down to Eric and listen to his heartbeat from his chest. Eric's heart was beating pretty fast. A little too fast. "Jeez! You sure that isn't a car engine in there?"

Nick then got the attention of the others to check out the armor.

"Judging by this one in particular, this has to be fox armor." Nick said to the others.

"What makes you say that?" Falisha asked.

"Look at the size. It's around the average size for a fox. Also the part in the back for the tail and the helm has ear holes for a fox." Nick stated. "Yep! Defientely fox armor."

"Huh. Didn't know foxes were knights." Mervin said scratching the back of his head a bit.

"Oh. There were fox knights back in the Medieval Era." Nick said to everyone.

"Fox knights were know to be dedicated to their cause and fighting for their people with all they got." Finnick stated. "They were also known to be quite the strategists when it came to planning."

"They also reckon that a side with a few foxes was considered lucky and a high chance of being the winning side." Gideon stated.

"Wow! Sounds like you three know a lot about this." Judy said sounding impressed by their knowledge.

"Gotta know you own species." Nick said looking proud.

"If foxes were such good knights, how come they don't get more credit on being noble?" Gazelle asked.

"Well... like every mammal, there were good foxes and also bad foxes." Nick admitted. "Most people tend to focus on the bad when it comes to foxes."

"Well that's estupido." Gazelle said looking a bit mad.

"It's fine. Not like we're ain't use to it." Gideon said.

"Still... others should know this." Cammy said. She then switch to using her regular camera. "You guys mind shining some light on the armor?"

The guys that were holding flashlights flashed their lights on the fox knight armor and Cammy snapped a few shots of it.

"There. Now at least we know AND we have proof." Cammy said with a confident smile.

"Nice!" Nick said happily. "Now then..." Nick this rubbed his paws together a bit. "... we have a whole mansion to ourselves. Where should we head to first?"

"How... about... we... check... out... the... west... wing?" Flash suggested slowly.

"That seems like a good way to..." Judy said. But it seem that Flash have more to say.

"Then... we... should... try... the... east... wing?" Flash asked slowly.

"That... sounds good too, Fl..." Judy said. But once again, Flash still had more to say.

"And... if... we... have... time..." Flash said still going on.

Judy and a few of the others were started to lose their patience.

"Hang in there." Nick said to the others smirking.

"... we... should... check... up... stairs." Flash said sounding like he was done.

Everyone waited a few seconds before responding. Just in case, Flash wasn't done. But he they realized that he was done.

"Sounds... like a great idea. Thanks, ... Flash." Judy said awkwardly.

"Alright. To the west side." Nick said while pointing to the west.

"Lead the way, leader." Benji said.

The group all started walking to the west wing of the mansion. They walked down a long hallway with a few doors on each side. They stopped at one of the first doors on their left.

"Let's start with this room." Nick suggested to the others. He then look toward Benji. "Benji, since you have a fair height, mind getting opening the door?"

"Sure thing." Benji said in a joyful matter.

Benji happily open the door with much lesser effort than it toke Judy.

"See, Carrots? THAT'S how you get a door open." Nick said to Judy with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah. It's not like you could do it on your own either." Judy said looking mad at Nick. "You not **that** much taller than me."

"Still taller than you." Nick said with smirk.

While Nick and Judy were doing their usual arguments, they didn't realized that Benji already went into the room.

"WOOOOAAHHH! Guys, you got to see this." Benji said from the room

"Wonder what he found?" Gazalle asked.

"Let's find out." Judy said.

So the others went in the room and were stunned with what they saw. The room was filled with historical treasures from the past. Like "The beginning of evolution" past. There were models of a mammoth and a sabertooth tiger wearing caveman cloths and holding spears. Mammals that have been extinct for centuries. There were also a few display cases of caveman drawings and ancient tools that they used like spears and hammers. Seeing all this was like being in a museum for the kids.

"Woooooooaaaahhhh!" Nick, Judy, and the others said in shock and awe.

"Check it out!" Nick said to everyone.

"Amazing! A room filled with stuff from the early past." Judy said as see gets closer to one of the displays.

"These must be some of the treasures that Alina collected." Falisha said. "These have got to be from the start of the evolution cycle for us mammals."

"Haha! Hey look, Fal. It's your 100x great grandpa." Mervin said while pointing at the sabertooth tiger model. A few of the other guys couldn't help but chuckle a bit too.

"Oh har har." Falisha said not amused.

"All this stuff is from the start of the evolution cycle?" Eric asked.

"Has to be." Cammy said taking a few pictures with her camera. "I mean, look at all this stuff. I'm also assuming that these are the real deal and not just fake models."

"If I remember from what I studied for my play, around the time predators still hunted prey, right?" Judy asked.

"Yeah. But this was also the time when they stopped cause they started feeling guilty about killing them." Nick said. "Eventually, prey mammals show predators the things that they could eat besides meat. This then lead to a truce for both prey and predators."

"The start of peace between prey mammals and predator mammals. Quite a historical moment." Gazelle stated looking at a prehistoric slab paintings of mammals.

Cammy seem to be taking pictures of the items in this room. There were windows, so the lighting in the room was good.

"Got a few good pics." Cammy said happily. "Not bad for a start."

"Let's head to another room." Nick said to everyone.

"Alright." Judy said nodding.

Seeing all they wanted to see from this room, the kids all left the room and move on to the next room. The kids all took a while guess and assume the other rooms also had various treasures they could look at. Excitement filled all the kids for what the next room could have.

As they open the door to the next room, Nick took a peek to see what was in it. Like they thought before, it was another room filled with different treasures. But this one was filled with Egyptian-like items. Golden colored canes, ancient hieroglyphs, anubis heads, even a golden mummy sarcophagus. Everyone was amazed by this room. But out of everyone, Finnick looking the most amazed.

"Ho ho! Now THIS is my kind of room." Finnick said joyfully.

"This room just scream 'mummy'." Eric said looking around the room.

"What gave that away? The Egyptian-theme room or the mummy coffin in the middle of the room?" Ronnie asked with a bit of smug.

While the others kids started looking around the room, Finnick had his eyes on the sarcophagus. It was gold encrusted with hieroglyphs all over it. The face on it was that of a wolf and also looked large enough to hold a regular size jackal.

"I wouldn't mind getting buried in one of these." Finnick said smiling a bit.

"You have some weird taste, Finnick." Mervin said to the fennec.

"Come on. Like you wouldn't like to be buried in something this fancy." Finnick said still smiling. "Not only that, you got to admit, all the stuff is pretty awesome."

"You seem pretty excited about this room." Benji said.

"Uhh... desert fox, remember?" Finnick said pointing at himself. "I actually studied a lot about Egyptian junk and that time and age. I did a project on it and it was the first A+ I ever made." Finnick said proudly. "Even after the project was done, I still read more about it... for fun."

Hearing Finnick said that REALLY caught everyone else off guard.

"You read for fun?" Nick asked surprised.

"You read?" Judy asked surprised as Nick.

"Grrrrr..." Finnick growled starting to get back to his usual angry self. "Yes. I read, okay? I swear, this is the last time I try to open up to you guys."

"Awww! Don't be like that, little big softie." Judy said to Finnick while patting him on the back. "We were just pulling your ears a bit. It's great to know that you actually learn things you don't need to."

"You're making me sound like nerd." Finnick said firmly.

"Nerds can be cool." Judy said.

"Ehhhh..." Nick said waving his paw in the middle a bit.

"On a side note..." Finnick said as he walked closer to the sarcophagus. "... do you guys think an actual mummy is still in this thing?"

"Should we find out?" Nick asked.

"Woah woah WOAH!" Eric shouted out and getting in front. "We can't just do that. What if we unlock some ancient mummy curse?"

"Someone's been watching too many monster movies." Falisha said shooking her head.

"Shows what you know. I don't watch monster movies." Eric said. "Our mom and dad won't let us."

"Won't let **you** at least." Cammy stated.

"Either way, I'm pretty sure that won't happen." Gideon said not looking worried.

"Then what if the mummy comes to life and attacks us?" Eric asked looking worried.

"Again. Camera, record, rich and famous." Nick said to everyone.

"And again, I like that idea." Finnick said liking the rich part.

"That's not the point." Eric said firmly. "It's just I don't want to be one of the guys that causes a reign of terror because of curiousity."

"Judy, is your brother always like this?" Audran asked.

"More than half my family's like this." Judy stated. "But it's not like I want to see a dead body either."

"I doubt Alina wanted a old and dirty mummy. I'm pretty sure it's empty." Falisha stated.

"Or... there might be some fancy-smancy treasure inside the saragph... sakoopa... sarhaga..." Gideon said trying to pronounce sarcophagus.

"Sarcophagus." Finnick said pronouncing it right.

"Ugh! Why do they got use some fancy word for it? Can't they just call it a mummy box?" Gideon said crossing his arms.

"So... are we checking the inside or not?" Finnick asked.

"I guess we should at least take a peek." Nick said.

"Dude!" Eric shouted out.

"Relax. If it does turn out to have a mummy that I woke up from it's eternal slumber, then I'll apologize." Nick said not looking worried.

"How are you so calm about this? HOW?" Eric shouted out.

"Just stop worrying." Nick said to Eric.

"Alright then. Open it up. I, as much as I don't want to admit it, am too short." Finnick said. "You seem just tall enough, Nicky."

"Fiiiiine." Nick said not like to do it on his own.

So Nick attempted to push open the sarcophagus from the top part. It was pretty heavy for someone like Nick. He needed some help.

"Oh. Don't mind me, everyone else. I can totally open this by myself." Nick said sarcastically as he pushes with all his effort.

"Okay then." Ronnie said with a smirk.

"Are you serious? Help me!" Nick said looking pretty mad.

"Not our fault that you have a scrawny fox body." Ronnie said still smirking.

"Hey! I GOT muscles. **Fox muscles**." Nick stated. "You seen my pop. He has decent upper body strength. Since I'm his son, I'm should grow up just like him..." Nick said proudly before whispering. "... _maybe_." Nick then spoke out loud again. "Bottomline, I got em. They're just... not... totally noticable."

"Mmm hmm." Ronnie said not believing him.

"Ronnie, can you and Ben just help me out already." Nick said still wanting help to open the sarcophagus.

"Whatever you say, leader." Ronnie said as him and Ben walked to to him.

Both Ronnie and Ben put their paws on the sarcophagus top. Cammy got out her camcorder out and was ready to record in case... something happens.

"Okay. Camera's on. You know... in case you wake up an ancient evil." Cammy said holding her camcorder.

"Now we are just opening it enough to take a peek. So don't push it open any farther than that." Nick said to Ben and Ronnie. "On 3. 1... 2... 3..."

The three boys slowly pushed the top of the sarcophagus just enough to get it opened. After opening it just enough, Nick, Benji, and Ronnie peaked inside. To their suprised, they found...

"Huh. Empty." Nick said.

There was nothing in the sarcophagus. It was completely empty.

"No mummy. No secret treasure." Benji said.

"*sigh* Thank goodness. No evil curses today." Eric said wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Oh well." Nick said shrugging. "Close it up, boys."

Benji and Robbie then closed the sarcophagus back up.

"Mummy or not, this alone is a big find." Cammy said putting up her camcorder.

"I agree. This whole room is." Judy said. She then had her eyes on some small and interesting looking jars. The jars each had animal heads on the top of them. Judy picked up one with a jackal on it. "Check out these cool jars."

"Awesome, right? Those are known as organ jars." Finnick stated.

"Wait... organ jars?" Judy said looking a bit uneasy as her ears droop down.

"Uh huh. During the mummification process, they remove some of the body's organs and store them in jars like that." Finnick stated.

"So... those jars... are filled with mummy organs?" Nick said looking disturbed.

"Eww!" Judy shouted out as she dropped the jar she was holding.

Finnick then quickly slid down to the ground and catches the jar in the nick of time.

"Easy, bunny girl! These things are LITERALLY priceless." Finnick said as he gets back up holding the jar.

"So... they take out the organs of someone and put them in jars like this?" Mervin asked looking disturbed like Nick.

"THAT'S DISGUSTING!" Falisha shouted out.

"I think it's cool. It's all part of the mummification process. It's not like it's all the organs. Just the stomach, liver, intestines, the lungs..." Finnick went on.

"What? Do one of these jars have a brain too?" Eric asked.

"No. Don't be silly." Finnick said.

Everyone else sighed for relief. But that relief went away with the next thing Finnick said.

"They just throw the brain away." Finnick stated.

"WHAT?!" Everyone else shouted.

"They... throw away the brain?" Judy asked.

"Yep! Interesting process too. They insert this kind of hook through a hole near the nose..." Finnick said. As he went on about the process, some of the others started to look really queasy and looked close to puking. "... and pull out part of the brain."

"Ugh... okay. THAT has got to be the most **disturbing** and **disgusting** thing I have ever heard with my bunny ears." Eric stated holding his ears down.

"Ditto." Judy said agreeing holding her ears down as well. "I will never be able to unhear that now."

"The full description is what got me the A+." Finnick said.

"Wish you didn't gave us the full description. I think I'm gonna puke." Benji said putting his paws on his stomach and looking queasy.

"Wait?" Nick said as he started to regain his composure. "Quick question. So... in the mummification process, they remove the brain? Does that mean the mummies in those classic monster movies are totally brainless?" Nick asked.

"Guess so." Finnick said shrugging.

"Then that would mean that they are also dumber than zombies. Since zombies actually do have brains." Nick stated.

"That... would be the case." Finnick said agreeing with Nick.

"So... zombies have brains and want to eat brains and mummies don't have brains and don't want to eat brains?" Mervin asked. "Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

"Honestly, I don't even know anymore." Nick said shrugging.

"Aren't... zombies and mummies kinda the same thing anyway?" Audran asked.

"Uhh... no. They are totally different." Nick said sounding a bit serious. "Get bit by a zombie, you turn into a zombie. Get bit by a mummy, you just have a nasty mummy bite from rotten mummy teeth. Duh!"

"Yeesh! You made you monster expert?" Audran asked.

"Me, myself, and I." Nick said proudly. "Pop has a lot of old VHSs of classic monster movies. I watched all of them several time."

"Your dad's okay with you watching them?" Judy asked.

"Well it's not like they're 'scary' movies. Movies at that time never were." Nick stated. "They're still awesome tho." Nick then clapped his paws together. "Now then, I think we been in here long enough. Shall we go?"

"Yes. Onward and upward." Judy said.

The kids left the room and continued their tour around the mansion. They checked out another room. The next room they went to had artifacts from the pirate ages. An empty chest, a few gold coins, rusted cutlasses that were in a display case, even a model pirate ship. Nick found this pirate hat and tried putting it on. But the hat was far too big for him and ended up covering his whole head. The others pretty much laughed big time. After that, they gazed at some of the other rooms and the artifacts they had. Cammy was sure to take pictures and record everything. When they were done with the east wing, they went back to the main hall and headed for the east wing now. As they did, They discussed a few things.

"Remember how I said I didn't want to come here. I take it back. This place has been pretty awesome so far." Eric said smiling.

"Tell me about it." Audran said. "Who need this place would still have so many awesome stuff?"

"But isn't it weird?" Falisha said pondering it. "I mean, all the stuff we have seen so far must be priceless and cost a fortune. Not only that, some of these are good enough to put in a museum."

"Well you did said that Alina had no living family member or heirs." Finnick said.

"Exactly." Falisha said. "So since she dead now, no one owns any of this. So nothing's stopping anyone from taking the stuff here. So why is all this stuff even still here?"

"Who knows? Maybe other mammals just didn't want to because they didn't want to dishonor her memory ... or something like that." Nick said.

"But it's not like she needs this stuff anymore." Judy said.

"It's not like **anyone** needs this stuff at all." Nick said. "We're kids. What would we do with this junk?"

"Fair enough." Judy said agreeing with Nick.

The kids then stopped at a large dining hall. In the center was this massive wooden table with a huge white cloth over it. The table also looked very dusty. There were about 30 or so tall chairs surrounding the table.

"Woah! Look at this table." Benji stated amazed.

"Bet this place use to throw the biggest party." Ronnie said.

"Doesn't look like that's the case now." Finnick stated.

"Reminds me of the table at your place, Carrots." Nick said to Judy.

"Except this table is waaaaay bigger by height." Judy stated.

"It must be havoc during dinnertime at your house everyday." Mervin said.

"You have no idea." Judy, Eric, and Cammy said together.

"It's even worst when Pawsgiving comes by. Our house gets overpacked with our other family members. Each year is usually the same. Our mom argues with our aunts about what to cook. Our dad goes at it with our uncles. Then last but not least, us kids get put at the kit table when the adults know darn well that it's not big enough for us." Judy said looking a bit peeved and tapping her right foot a bit. "It's probably not the same for the rest of you guys, right?"

Nick and others all look at each other and then they all broke into laughter. Judy and her siblings were a bit confused.

"What's with the laughter?" Judy asked raising her eyebrow.

"Carrots, you just described **everyone's family** during Pawsgiving." Nick said smiling.

"Seriously?" Judy said surprised.

"Moms arguing with our aunts, check." Nick said.

"Dads going at it with our uncles, check." Benji said.

"Kids getting put in the tiny kit table, check." Mervin said.

"While we might not have families as big as yours, we all know what it's like having to deal with a huge family during Pawsgiving." Finnick said.

"Huh. So it's not just us and other bunny families." Eric said scratching his chin.

"Still not as bad as yours tho." Nick said.

"Yeah./Totally./Your family is huge./Seriously, there's too many bunnies." Gazelle, Falisha, Mervin, and Finnick said.

Benji then looked around and saw a door at the end of the hall.

"That must be the kitchen." Benji said pointing at the door. "Let's check it out."

"Ben... I hate to break it to ya, but if there is any food still there, you probably don't want to eat it." Nick said stating that any food in there would be expired.

"I know that." Benji said looking a bit mad. "I just want to see the kitchen."

"Very well." Nick said.

So the kids walked down the dining hall and made it to the kitchen. The kitchen was pretty old, dusty, and damp. It had the things you would expect. A bunch of cabinet, an old style fridge, and a wood-fire oven.

"Man, this kitchen's seen better days, eh?" Audran stated looking at the condition of the place.

"Not that there's much to see." Ronnie stated looking around the kitchen.

Eric was checking out a few of the cabinets and notice that there was nothing in any of them.

"Nothing's in any of them. No pots. No pans. No plates. I can't even find a spoon." Eric said.

"Looks like they either got taken... or Alina didn't do much home cooking." Gideon said.

"Not like she needed to. I'm sure she had people to cook for her." Finnick said.

"Not exactly." Falisha said. "Alina was very independent and did most things on her own. Even lived in this big house by herself."

"Seriously?" Nick, Finnick, and Mervin said looking shocked.

"You think with a house this big, she would at least have a few family members living with her." Mervin said.

"I know. Even in our house, there's barely any room in our house for everybody." Judy stated.

The group then put their attention on a large 1920's style refrigerator. It was really just one big white box with only one door on it. The kids were a bit confused by it since it didn't really look like a fridge to them.

"Is this... a fridge?" Eric asked.

"More of an icebox." Cammy said with her camera out and taking some pictures. "Put a chuck of ice in the compartment, keeps the food cool. They didn't had fridges like the ones we have now back then."

"It's amazing how mammals advanced as a whole over the years." Gazelle said happily.

"Yeah." Nick said nodding.

Eric had climbed on of the counters and found this weird looking, slightly steampunky, contraption. It was chrome-colored and a gauge and a nozzle.

"What the heck is this suppose to be?" Eric asked everyone else while looking at the machine. "Some kind of robot?"

"Robot is a bit of a stretch." Cammy said to her brother. "This is clearly a old coffee machine. I think..."

"Ahh yes, coffee. The drink that nearly all grown-ups like to drink." Nick stated. "Pretty sure some, if not all, of our parents drink it."

"Yep. Every morning." Finnick said stating that his parents did.

"Ditto. You do NOT want to see my parents before their first cup." Mervin said.

"Any of you guys ever drank the stuff for yourselves?" Nick asked the others.

Everyone else shook their head and said "No!" or "Nuh-uh!".

"Consider yourselves lucky." Nick said firmly. "One time, I saw pop drinking some coffee and I asked him how it tasted. Pop asked if I wanted to take a sip of his and I foolishly said "Sure.". Bad idea. I took one sip and then I quickly spitted it out."

"What did it tasted like?" Judy asked.

"Dirt water. Bleeehh!" Nick said with his tongue out and looking disgusted as he recalled the taste. "Seriously, I don't know how mom or pop and drink that stuff. After that, pop laughed at me and told me "Son, when you grow up, you are gonna realized that coffee might be the only thing that keeps you up in the morning.". I don't really believe him."

"I think a few of my brothers drink coffee. But it's the ones that look more like a milkshake. At least... I think it's coffee." Mervin said.

"Either way, I'm NOT drinking that stuff again for a LONG while." Nick said firmly.

Nick then stopped discussing about his dislike of coffee and wanted to talk about something else. He then has his attention on the old vintage oven. It seem 1920's style and seem to need wood to start it up.

"Seem that the oven here runs on wood." Nick said.

"Okay. This stuff here's... REALLY old." Finnick stated. "I mean, who even still uses wood to start up an oven?"

"Some types of pizza ovens." Benji answered.

"Now that you mention it, that reminds me. Pop was talking to mom about wanting to get a pizza oven." Nick said while rubbing his chin a bit.

"Really? Sweet! Pizza Party at Nick's place!" Eric shouted at excited.

"Whoo! Whoo!" Everyone else went also sounding excited.

"Hold up! Put the breaks on the Pizza Party Bus." Nick said to his friends. "The pizza oven's not happening. Mom already said no."

"Awww! Why?" Everyone else said went from sounding excited to disappointed.

"Cause mom said "Johnathan Wilde, we have just gotten out of debt. We're NOT trying to get back into it."." Nick said imitating his mom a bit. "Pop's not giving up on convincing her yet. Mainly cause mom likes his pizza too. So... who knows?" Nick stomach then growls a bit. "Speaking about food, anyone else hungry?"

"Yes!" Benji said firmly.

"Absolutely." Audran said.

"Starving." Judy said.

"Alright then, I think we're done looking around the nearly empty kitchen. Let's have some of that food we brought with us." Nick said.

"Good plan, City Boy." Gideon said looking famished.

Since they were all hungry, they went back to the dining hall to stop and take a lunch break. Because most to all of them were far too small to sit on the chairs, they all just sat on the table. They made sure to brush the dust off a bit first. They had sandwiches, carrots, blueberries, chips, snack cakes, and juice boxes. Everyone was enjoying their quick little lunch. Even when Flash's eating wasn't too fast. Sloths are slow when it comes to nearly everything. Ronnie and Audran were watching Flash as he slowly chewed his sandwich.

"Man, he even eats slow." Ronnie said.

"I'm still surprised how he gets out of bed in the morning." Audran said.

"Does anyone else think that this is... kinda weird?" Nick asked everyone as he ate his sandwich.

"Well we are sitting on an ol' table at a dining hall of an old abandon mansion. Not sure if this is highclass or lowclass." Gideon said while eating some chips.

"Yeah. The mansion's old, but I still feel like we should be acting classy." Judy said.

"Then why don't we?" Nick asked smiling a bit. He then clear his throat a bit before talking in gentleman accent. "My dear Judith, would you be kind enough to offer me a few of your blueberries?"

"Why most certainly, Nicholas." Judy said in a fair lady accent and then giving Nick some blueberries in a container.

"I must say, these sandwiches you brought are smashing." Benji said also using a gentleman accent.

"Why thank you, Benjamin." Judy said still doing a fair lady accent.

"This has be quite an exquisite day so far." Mervin said continuing with the poise matter.

"Charmed, really." Gazelle said while dropping her usual accent and switching it with a poise one. "The mansion and all of it's content has been quite excellent."

"Wow! I'm surprised that you were able to drop your accent." Judy said sounding normal again.

"I had some practice." Gazelle said back to speaking in her regular Spanish accent.

"It's quite impressive. Most people I know aren't really good at dropping their accents." Nick said pointing Gideon who was eating some chips.

"You're talking about me, are you... City Boy?" Gideon said looking unamused.

"I reckon they ain't any other foxes here with a country accent like you, Giddy." Nick said slyly in a southern accent. Everyone else except Gideon chuckled a bit.

"For the record, a lot of other people have accent like this where I'm from." Gideon stated.

"Really? Cause everyone I met from Judy, her family, Bobby, Sharla, and the others who all live in the same town you do, they all have regular accent." Nick stated.

"Hey! We don't choose how we are born. We just deal with it." Gideon said sound a bit mad.

"Okay. Okay." Nick said putting his paws up. "Don't sweat it. We like your accent."

"Thank you." Gideon said feeling happy.

"Makes you feel mighty special in this group of misfits." Nick said in a southern accent again. The others started laughing again.

"Stepping past the line, City Boy. Stepping past the line." Gideon said giving Nick a warning.

All things aside, it seem like the friends were all growing closer with this whole little adventure. There was no doubt that everyone was enjoying this. Cammy was also sure to take more pictures of everything. She felt this would be good moments for them to share with others.

After lunch, the kids headed of to check out another room. The next room they went to seem to be between a library and a study. There were huge bookshelves with hundreds books in each self. The room also had a big desk near one of the walls. It was quite the room.

"This must have been Anila's studies." Falisha said.

"No surprise that a rich lady who loves treasure has a bunch a books." Finnick said.

"Most of these books are bigger than us." Judy said.

"She was an elephant. Everything that's small to them is big to us." Nick stated.

The kids all gather more into the room and looked around it and at some of the books. Many of the books were REALLY old and a few of them look dusty and close to falling apart.

"Most of the books here are complex." Audran said.

"I see... mostly history and philo books." Cammy said looking closer at some of the titles of the books. "Guess that explains all her treasures."

"Not really a fan of reading these kind of books." Nick said not looking interested.

"Who is? Unless you have to do a report on it." Eric said.

"What books are you into, Nick?" Judy asked. "You know, besides those comic books you read."

"Other than books with pictures, there is one book I **really** love to read. I always love to read it to lighten up the mood. In fact..." Nick said happily. He then put his bagpack down on the floor and took out a white book from it. "... I just happen to have it with me."

"What's that book?" Benji asked.

"1001 Animal Puns." Nick said happily. "It's a joke book."

"A... joke book?" Judy said not looking too happy about it.

"Are you serious?" Finnick said also not looking too happy about it.

"No... way!" Mervin said looking excited. He then walks to Nick and take a look at the book "Nick, why didn't you tell me you had this? I couldn't find this anywhere."

"Pop gave it to me as a gift." Nick said. "I read the jokes in these when I'm feeling down in the dumps or need a good laugh."

"Hate to break it to you, but not all of us have the same sense of humor like you and Mervin... and Flash." Ronnie said with his arms crossed.

"Don't act like you wouldn't laugh at any of these jokes." Mervin said stating that the others would find the puns as funny as he would.

"We don't need to act. We just don't find them all that funny." Falisha said firmly.

"Hmmm... is that right?" Nick asked raising his eyebrow. He then started to have his usual sly smirk.

"Guys, Nick's having **that** look again." Benji said to everyone else.

"So... would you guys care to make a little **bet**?" Nick asked the others with a wide smirk.

"Where are you going with this, Nicky?" Finnick asked.

"I bet I can make all you guys laugh using any of these puns at least once. Not only that, but by only using 10 puns." Nick said confidently.

"Is that right?" Finnick said.

"Yes. If I can't, I'll give each of you guys each your own piece of candy from the candy store. Your pick. Money-wise, of course." Nick said.

"Oh ho! Now you're speaking our language." Eric said sounding interested.

"Not laugh at one of your jokes? Might as well give us the candy now." Finnick said smiling slyly.

"Hold on." Judy said knowing that their may be a catch. "What's in it for you, Slick?"

"Yeah. What do you get from us if you make us laugh?" Eric asked.

"I don't need anything. Making all my friends laugh is all I need." Nick said slyly.

Judy raised her eyebrows as Nick said that, not really believing him. She has known Nick for quite a while now and knows when that he wants something. But... she chose to believe Nick for now.

"Very well. You're on." Judy said looking determined. "You guys are in too, right?"

"Of course." Falisha said looking determined as well.

"It is for candy." Audran said.

"I can already taste those 'ChocoBombs'." Finnick said rubbing his paws in anticipation.

"Okay, so here are the terms. Like I said, I'll read 10 different puns from my book. If you guys do even the slightest laugh, snort, chuckles, cough, or make even a tiny hiccup, that counts as a laugh and you're out." Nick said. "That all sounds fair, doesn't it?"

"Fair enough. We agree to these terms. Right, guys?" Eric asked everyone else.

"Right!" Everyone else said.

"Right..." Flash said after everyone else.

"Okay, since candies on the line, I'm gonna do my best to control my laughter." Mervin said boldly.

Control his laughter? Mervin? All the other kids chuckled quite a bit. Everyone who knew Mervin knew that it was close to impossible for him to not laugh everytime he hears a joke. So they didn't believe him when he said he was gonna control his laughter.

"Hey! Don't laugh. You guys know I can hold my laughter if I get angry." Mervin said looking mad. He then realized that it wasn't a bad idea if they got him mad. "On second thought, keep going. Make me mad."

The others just stared at him didn't say anything.

"Nice try, but no." Falisha said.

"Hmpt! Some friends you are." Mervin said crossing his arms.

"Are you guys ready or what?" Nick asked his friends sounding impatience.

"We're ready." Judy said.

"Alright!" Nick said as he opens up his pun book. "Here we go. First joke. The lion didn't want to get up from the floor. Guess you can say he was... **lion** around."

The only one laughing at this pun was Mervin. Pretty hearty too.

"Mervin, you're out." Nick said.

"No surprise there." Falisha said knowing that Mervin was going to be out first.

"Nope." Gideon said not surprised either.

"DANG IT!" Mervin said kicking the air.

"Sorry. That's the rule. You laugh, you're out." Nick said.

As Nick said that, Flash slowly started to laugh too. Being a sloth, Flash has a slower reaction time compared to everyone else. So it looked like he liked the joke as well.

"Flash, you're out too." Nick said.

"Oh... darn... it." Flash said not sounding too happy.

"First joke and already two people are out. Heeheehee!" Nick said smirking.

"You only got Mervin and Flash. Not like the rest of us would go down that easy." Finnick said.

"Fair enough." Nick said. Nick then turned the page to read the next pun. "Okay, next pun. Why did the polar bear jumped into the ice cold pool? Because the heat was... **un-bearable**."

"Hahahaha!" Mervin laughed again. He was the only one to.

"Mervin, you're already out." Judy stated.

"I know. The joke's funny." Mervin stated.

"Hmm. Nothing from you guys yet? Very well." Nick said still looking confident as he turn the pages in his book. "Next pun. What did the buffalo said after sending his son off to school. **Bi-son.** "

This time, not only didn't Mervin laughed, but Benji and Audran chuckled a bit.

"Ben and Audran. You're both out." Nick said.

"Man! There goes my gourmet lollipop." Benji said looking disappointed.

"Dahhhhh! It wasn't even that funny. Why did I chuckle?" Audran shouted out.

"Laughter is laughter." Nick said smirking. Nick looked at everyone and now sees that Judy, Gideon, Finnick, Falisha, Ronnie, Gazelle, Cammy, and Eric remained "Four down, eight to go." Nick started turning the pages and stopping on one of the jokes. "Ooooh! This one is a good one. The koala applied to job. He said he had all the... **koalafications**."

Of course, Mervin laughed again. But also Gazelle, Gideon, and Cammy snicked and chuckled a bit.

"Gid, Gaz, Cammy, yoooou're out!" Nick said.

"Dagnabbit!" Gideon said snapping is fingers.

"Ugggh!" Cammy said with her paw on her face.

"Not gonna laugh. I thought the joke was funny and cute." Gazelle admitted.

"Too bad the boss said his koalafications were... **irrelephant**." Nick said.

Once again, Mervin broke into more of his hyena laughter. Some of the others also laughed, including Ronnie and Eric.

"Ronnie and Eric, you're out." Nick said.

"Ugh! There goes my gummy trouts." Ronnie said crossing his arms and looking mad.

"I spend years not laughing at jokes like that. WHY NOW?!" Eric shouted out.

"It's not just the jokes, it's the person who says them as well." Nick said smirking.

"Hahaha... irrelephant." Mervin said still laughing.

"Mervin, are you gonna laugh at every single pun?" Falisha asked.

"You guys know I love to laugh. It's not my fault I have a better sense of humor than the rest of you." Mervin said in a bit of a fret.

"If it's gonna be like that, you might as well leave the room." Judy said.

"But I want to listen to the rest of the joke." Mervin pleaded.

"You're laugh at each of them. Like you always do." Judy stated. "Besides, you're already out. So there is no real point for you to stay."

"Fiiiiiine." Mervin said looking pouty. "I'll just go somewhere else." Mervin then grabbed Flash's arm. "Come on, Flash. Let's go."

"O... kay." Flash said.

Mervin and Flash then left the library.

"Alright, who's left? Ah yes. Finn and Carrots." Nick said knowing that Finnick and Judy were the only one's who didn't laugh.

"Might as well give up now, Nicky." Finnick said looking confident.

"Yeah. You're not gonna make me laugh." Judy said also looking confident.

"Tch! Tch!" Nick said waving his finger. "You should know by now, I'm not one to give up so easily. Besides, I still have 5 jokes left to tell." Nick then turned the pages of his book to another pun. "Oooohhh! Here's some good one. Why are most horses so slim? Because they are on a **stable** diet."

While Benji and Gazelle thought it was funny, Judy and Finnick still didn't laugh.

"Still nothing, huh? How about this one?" Nick said before reading the next joke. "Why do you call the length of an baby elephant's trunk 12 inches? It's because you can't call it **a foot**."

Nearly everyone laughed at that joke. Judy tried not to be fazed by the joke and didn't laugh. Finnick, however...

"Pssstt! Haha!" Finnick laughed. Finnick then quickly realized that he laughed and covered his mouth with his paws. But it was too late for him.

"Finnick, you're out." Nick said to Finnick.

"DAAAHHHH!" Finnick said rapidly stomping on the floor. "The one time I laugh at your stupid jokes. THE ONE TIME!"

So now the only one left was Judy. Nick walked a little closer to Judy with his usual smirk.

"Well... well... well. Looks like it's just you, Carrots. Guess it's fate putting us together again." Nick stated with a smirk.

"Hmm... seems so." Judy said with a smirk.

"Best part, I still got 3 jokes left." Nick said waving his book.

"Which I won't laugh at." Judy said firmly.

"You sound sure of yourself, bunny. Hmm. Care to add on to our little bet?" Nick asked.

"What do you want to add?" Judy asked.

"If you laugh after the next three jokes, then I will give you three candies from the candy store. Anything you like." Nick said crossing his arms.

"Really?" Judy said surprised.

"Cross my heart." Nick said as he crossed an x on his chest where his heart was.

"Wait? What do you want if you make me laugh?" Judy asked Nick with a straight face.

"Me? I don't need a thing." Nick said in a sly matter.

"I know you, Slick Nick. You want something. Might as well tell me now." Judy said.

"Welllll... how about this? If you laugh after any three of the puns, I get to call you the 'c' word 3 times AND you can't get mad."

"WHAT?!" Judy shouted out.

"Oooooohhh!" Everyone else went.

"Wh... why would you want that?" Judy asked looking flustered.

"Cause. I've been known to call you the 'c' word unintentional and then you get mad at me for _no good reason_. Buuuuut... with this bet, I can call you the 'c' word without you having to be mad." Nick said as he walks around Judy.

"Do you REALLY just want that?" Judy asked looking a bit angry.

"What? Are you afraid to lose, little bunny?" Nick asked slyly as he boops Judy's nose.

"Hmpt!" Judy wasn't amused with Nick's taunting. Yet, she didn't like the idea of Nick being able to call her cute without being mad at him. She also knows that Nick was just betting like this to mess with her. But Judy wasn't the kind of bunny that backs down from a challenge. "Alright, Slick. You're on."

"Hehe! I thought you would say that." Nick said with a smirk. He then opens up his book. "Now then, let's begin. I'll have the last three puns be bunny puns."

"Yay..." Judy said not sounding excited.

"What do rabbits put in their computers? **Hoppy disks!** " Nick said.

Judy didn't laugh at that one.

"Nothing. Well... it wasn't that great anyway." Nick said turning to the next pun. "Bunnies are known to have a few bad days. Sometimes it's like they don't **carrot** all."

While others like Ben and Finnick laughed, Judy still held her tongue and didn't even gave out the slightest chuckle.

"Wow. You're really something else, Carrots." Nick said. "Everyone else already laughed a few times and you haven't at all. But I still have one pun left."

"Then say it already. I want to get this over with." Judy said.

"Very well, little bunny." Nick said looking through the pages of his book to fine the best joke to say. "Okay, last pun. After dropping her ice cream cone, the bunny jumped up and down. Guess you can say she was **hopping** mad."

Everyone, including Finnick, Benji, Gideon, and Ronnie, burst into a bit of laughter. Guess they all actually found that joke funny. Judy however, she refused to laugh even the slightest. So it seem that Judy wasn't gonna laugh.

"*sigh* Well... looks like that was my last pun." Nick said closing his book.

"HA! Told ya you couldn't make me laugh with those corny puns of yours. So I win. Ha... ha... HA!" Judy said happily at Nick's face. Nick just responded with his usual smirking. This caught Judy off guard. "What's with that look?"

"Cause I just won our bet." Nick said still smirking.

"WHAT?!" Judy shouted. "No you didn't."

"Uhh... yeah I do." Nick said firmly.

"No you didn't." Judy said more firm.

"Carrots, if you remember our bet, I said if you laugh **after** the next three jokes. After my puns, you laughed. It didn't matter if you laugh the jokes or not. The fact is that you still laugh after them." Nick stated.

"But... that... doesn't..." Judy said in a fret. "That can't be the case."

"Actually Judy, he did said that." Eric said.

"That and technically... you laughed **after** his puns" Benji stated.

"So... he's right." Finnick said.

"Ah..." Judy said feeling dumbfounded. She then angrily glared at Nick and grabbed on to his shirt. "You sly fox! You tricked me!"

"I did **no** such thing." Nick said in a sly matter. "How was I suppose to know you would mock me with laughter. That was only like a ... 50% chance."

Judy has known Nick long enough to know he would do something like this. She should have get they he would put in some looppole in the mix. As angry as Judy was at Nick, a bet was a bet. She eventually let go of Nick's shirt.

"Fine. You win." Judy said admitting defeat. "You... can call me 'cute' and I promise not to get mad."

"Good. My book has done it's job." Nick said happily as he puts his pun book back into his bagpack. "Alright. I think we've been here long enough. Carrots, move those cute ears, cute bunny feet, and cute cottontail and let's go."

Nick had just said cute 3 times at Judy.

"Nick, you just used all 3 of your 'cutes'." Judy stated a bit surprised.

"Totally worth it." Nick said as he left the room.

"I swear, I can never understand that boy." Judy said to the others.

"You're the one who likes him." Cammy said to Judy.

"What do you mean by that?" Judy asked looking mad and slightly blushing.

"Whatever you want it to, sis." Cammy said smirking.

"Yeah. Whatever you want it to." Everyone else said also smirking.

"Can we just go?" Judy said looking flustered.

So everyone left the library and went out to the hallway with Nick. They

"Okay Mervin, Flash, we're done. You can come out now." Nick shouted out to find out where Mervin was. There was no response. "Mervin?"

"Upstairs!" A voice shouted out from the second floor. It was Mervin. "You all might want to come up here and see this."

Seems that Mervin found something. Curious, the kids all agreed to go up the stairs. Up the elephant-standard stairs. It was a long staircase too. No one seem to happy about climbing. But you got to do, what you got to do.

After a while, Nick, Judy, and the others made it to the top of the stairs. Most of the kids seem fine. But Gideon was breathing heavily, Ben was nearly passed out on the ground, and Ronnie was climbing the last stair on all fours, looking tired.

"You guys okay back there?" Nick asked.

"Just... *huff*... give us a minute." Gideon said still breathing heavily.

"Or 10. 10 would be nice." Ben said still on the ground.

"One minute will be enough." Nick told them.

After that minute, the others looked at the long hall on both sides and see that Mervin and Flash were on the left side. Flash noticed them and slowly waved at them.

"Guys,... over... here." Flash said calling out to them.

The gang then walks over to Flash and Mervin to see what they found.

"What did you called us for?" Nick asked.

"Look at this." Mervin said pointing at what was on the wall.

Everyone looked at saw a large picture frame holding an interesting painting. The painting was of a grey female elephant. The eleplant wore a fru-fru red and white dress. The elephant also seem to have shorter tusk than the average elephant and looked like she was in her 50s. The elephant had a serious expression on her face as well. The painting was from her head to her midsection. The kids all had a pretty good guess who this was.

"Is this our hostess?" Finnick asked.

"It's gotta be her." Falisha said. "Ladies and gents, Alina Trunkson."

"So this was her, eh?" Audran said. "Guess it's no surprise that she has a painting of herself here. I think that's a rule for rich people."

"The look she's giving in this picture. Kinda gives me the chillies." Gideon said honestly.

"Was she a serious person?" Nick asked Falisha.

"More or less." Falisha simply said.

Cammy, being herself, got out her camcorder again and start recording. She aimed her camera at the painting.

"People, my friends and I have just found a painting of Alina Trunkson, herself." Cammy said. "This lady here is the reason why there is so many amazing treasures in the place. A rich lady who loves the finer things of life."

"Fine enough at least." Nick said.

Cammy then stopped recording and put her camcorder back up. While she did that, Eric was swaying left and right as he gazed at the painting.

"Eric, what are you doing?" Judy asked.

"Trying to make sure this isn't one of those paintings where the eyes follow you." Eric said.

"Are you still on this **ghost** stuff?" Judy asked looking disappointed in her brother.

"Dude, the eyes aren't following anybody." Nick said not sounding worried. But then again, it wasn't like those kind of paintings didn't exist. "Right?"

Unsure about this, all the kids gather around the painting and glared at it. They sway to the left, sway to the right, swayed back, and then swayed forward. All at the same time. After that, they could confirm the eyes weren't following them.

"I think we're good." Nick said.

"Yep." Judy said nodding.

"Uhhh... guys? There something else I wanted to talk about." Mervin said before scratching the back of his head. "Flash and I have been up here for a while and... well... have you all notice something **odd** about this floor?"

"What do you mean **odd**?" Nick asked.

"Look... around... this... hallway." Flash said.

Everyone looked around the hallway like Flash told them, but they didn't see anything odd about it.

"I don't see anything odd." Nick said. He then started pondering for a second. "Hold on." Nick put his paw on his chin. "It's not that we don't see anything odd. It's odd because, besides this painting, there nothing else here to see."

After saying that, they all realized that Nick was right. This was a bit surprising since most parts of the mansion had items all over the place. It was surprising that this hallway was so... empty.

"Your right. Nothing's really around here." Judy said agreeing with Nick.

"No armors, no fancy vases, no nothin." Gideon said.

"It's not just this hallway." Mervin said. He then started walking. "Come with me to one of the rooms."

Everyone else followed Mervin's lead to one of the rooms. They stopped at one of the doors that was slightly opened.

"Check inside this room." Mervin said to Nick.

Nick nodded and walked to the door. He slowly opened it and took a peek inside room. The room was fairly large. But besides the window, their was nothing in the room. Unlike the rest of the rooms, it was completely empty.

"There's nothing in this room. Like... at all." Nick said as he stepped in the room. Everyone else was behind him.

"Uh huh. Surprised me too." Mervin said.

"Think someone emptied this room before we came here?" Finnick asked.

"I don't think so." Judy said. She then started observing the room a bit. Since Judy wanted to grow up to become a cop, she read a lot of detective books. So she had some pretty good observation skills. "Look at the ground. No scratches or signs of anything being here. So in other words..."

"... This room has been emptied the whole time." Nick said.

"An empty room that's always been empty. But why?" Gazelle asked.

"Well she did lived alone. No reason to have any bedrooms if no one's gonna use them." Finnick stated.

"But still... all the other rooms had something." Gazelle said.

"Think it's the same for some of the other rooms on this floor?" Benji asked.

"Only one way to find out." Nick said.

The group decided that they should check out some of the other rooms as well. But as expected, all the room they checked were empty as well. It was making everyone feel a bit uneasy.

"Empty again." Nick said.

"No signs of anything being here either." Judy said after looking at the ground.

"That's makes this the 9th empty room." Falisha said.

"Man. You think they would at least have a bed in each room. But nothing." Ronnie said.

"Doesn't it feel kinda sad?" Gazelle asked.

"All the empty rooms on this floor? It does." Benji admitted.

Out of the whole group, someone was missing. Cammy wasn't with any of the others. She was most likely checking on of the other rooms. At the moment, a loud shout from Cammy came out.

"GUYS! I FOUND A ROOM THAT'S NOT EMPTY!" Cammy shouted out. "I THINK IT'S HER BEDROOM."

This got everyone else's attention. So they quickly left the room to join up with Cammy, who was already recording the room with her camcorder. The bedroom was very fancy. The bed was very large and had red covers and at least 5 pillows on the bed. There was also a big wooden wardrobe, some dresses, a book shelf with a few books and a big desk for reading and studying. But one thing about everything in this room, it... was... dusty. Like, dust everyone and on everything.

"Here I am, in what appears to be Alina's bedroom." Cammy said moving her camcorder around the room. "The room where Alina sleeps everyday and maybe do some reading to past the time. As you can tell, this hasn't been used for some time."

At that moment, everyone else came in.

"Hey. We're here." Nick said to Cammy.

"It seems that this is the only room on this floor that isn't empty." Cammy stated.

"Makes sense that she would at least have a bedroom for herself." Finnick said.

"With how dirty this room is, I surprised dust bunnies don't live here." Eric said.

"Ha! Nice." Mervin said laughing a bit.

"Y'know, this room isn't too bad." Nick said admiring the room. "Besides needing many days of vacuuming."

"Look at the bed." Eric said as he walked closer to it. "This has got to be the biggest bed I have ever seen. I think our whole family could sleep on this thing."

"She was an elephant." Falisha stated again. "It would take your whole family to weight the amount of one. With that said, this bed must have been made with some really well support beams."

Finnick and Judy were looking at the bookshelf on the other side of the room.

"More book? She must really love reading." Finnick said.

"These... look like storybooks. Unlike the books in the library." Judy said looking at a few of the titles.

"Huh." Finnick said.

"HEY!" Eric shouted out.

"What? What is it, Eric?" Judy asked with the shout getting her attention.

"There's something under the bed." Eric said lifting the covers under the bed. "Like an... big box."

"Big box?" Nick said sounding interested and walking to the bed.

"Yeah. Look." Eric said as he pointed under the bed.

Nick looked under the bed and sees a big tin grey box with a bit of rust on it.

"There is a box." Nick said.

"Hidden box = Hidden treasure." Finnick stated.

"Gideon, Judy, Ben, help me get it." Nick asked his friends.

"Alright." Judy, Benji, and Gideon said nodding.

Nick, Judy, Gideon, and Ben, all pulled the big box from under the bed and put it out in the opening for the others to see.

"Okay. We have a box." Nick said. "A very rusty box. Shall we open it?"

"Hold it." Falisha said halting everyone. She notice that there was a lock on the box. "Looks like we need a key to get this open."

"Figures." Finnick said looking disappointed.

"Should... we look for the key?" Ronnie asked.

"In this place? We'll be looking for everywhere for the one key." Finnick stated.

"Maybe... it's in this room. We just need to look for it." Judy said.

"Okay. Any ideas where to look?" Nick asked everyone.

Everyone's eyes were now on Judy's brother, Eric. Eric noticed and was feeling weird out.

"What are you all looking at me for?" Eric asked.

"You seem to know a bit about haunted houses. If the key was in this room, where would you say it is?" Nick asked.

"First off, I'm no haunted house expert. I just know that stuff to avoid that stuff." Eric said firmly. "Second, if the key is in the room, it's not gonna be in plain site."

"Then where you reckon it would be?" Gideon asked.

"If I had to guess, it might have something to do with the bookshelf." Eric said.

"The bookshelf?" Nick said tilting his head.

"Bookshelves in haunted houses always have either a hidden passage or a book that has a key." Eric stated. "So if one of the book has the key, then it has to be the book that's **different** from the others."

"Different how?" Judy asked.

"Guess we have to find out." Eric said. "Let's get a closer look at the bookshelf."

"Right." Everyone else said nodding their heads.

They all went over to the bookshelf and looked at the titles of the books on the first self.

" _Echoes of Darkness... The Great Desert's Road..._ " Nick said reading the titles. "Which book would it be?"

"Should be a book that's obvious enough." Eric said.

"Must be one of the books on the upper shelves." Nick stated looking up at the tall book shelf.

"That's really high up. Maybe we can climb up it to see the other books." Benji suggested. "Maybe I could reach it you give me a boost, Nick."

Nick looked at Benji with an angry glare.

"Orrrrr... you can give **me** a boost." Nick said on the count of Benji being waaaaay bigger than he was.

"Oh. Right. That... that makes more sense." Benji said realizing what Nick meant.

"I do it." Judy said volunteering herself. "it should be easier with me."

"Alright. But be careful." Nick said.

So Benji put his paws together to give Judy a boost and lifted her up to the second self. She would then look at the books of the second shelf to see if it was any of them. While that was happening, Nick was still giving Benji a look.

"Give you a boost. Really?" Nick said not to happy with the cheetah. "In what world I would be able to do that?"

"I'm just saying, scrawny fox body." Ronnie said smirking and crossing his arms.

"Zip it, Ronnie! My fox body is fine." Nick said looking angry at the bear.

"Keep telling yourself that, Nicky." Ronnie said smirking.

As they went on, Judy continue to climb up more and more to the highest of the shelves. She looked at each and every book title. She then stopped at one of the books. The book was title _The Key to Adventure_.

"Hey! How about this one? _The Key to Adventure._ " Judy said.

"Eric?" Nick said to him if that was it.

"That could be it." Eric said. "Who's the author?"

"The author is... Kathleen E. Yawne." Judy said reading the author's name.

"Kathleen... E... Yawne..." Flash said.

"Yeah. That's the author." Finnick said to Flash.

"Kathleen... E... Yawne. K... E... Y..." Flash said.

"Oh! K-E-Y." Nick said realized that it spelled key.

"KEY!" Everyone else shouted out.

"The first letters in the authors name spell **key**." Nick stated.

"Then that's got to be it." Eric said.

"Okay then." Judy said tugging the book out of the shelf. It was a big book for such a little bunny, so she had to be careful not to fall off and drop the book on anyone. As she pull the book out more and more, she was able to get it off the self and it dropped down to the ground. "Heads up!" Judy shouted alerting everyone else.

The others quickly moved out of the way to avoid the book. Luckily, no one got hurt.

"Jeez! Warn us better next time." Nick said to Judy.

"Sorry." Judy said apologetic.

"And they say reading isn't dangerous." Finnick said with a straight face.

"Check the book, already." Judy said still from atop the highest shelf.

Finnick then opened up the book and found out that middle of most of the pages were cut out and in the center was a big ol' key.

"Bingo!" Finnick said before taking the key out of the book. It was a big key, but light enough for Finnick to lift it up. "Haha! We got it! Nice work, Bunny Girl. Same for you, Bunny Boy."

"Don't call me that." Eric said firmly and not wanting to be called Bunny Boy.

"Would you prefer brother of Bunny Girl?" Finnick asked Eric.

"On second thought, if you have to pick one, stick with Bunny Boy." Eric said prefer the first one.

Everyone then put their attention to Judy.

"Okay Carrots, can you get down?" Nick shouted out to her.

"I think so." Judy shouted out. "I just need to watch my footing and slowly..."

As Judy said that, Judy didn't follow her own words and slipped off the shelf. Judy was now falling to the ground and a very dangerous.

"AHHH!" Judy shouted.

"JUDY!" Nick shouted out seeing his friend falling.

Everyone panicked at the sight of seeing Judy fall. Not even reacting lesser than a second, Nick quickly dashed to the spot where Judy was about to fall and held his arms out. Lucky for the both of them, Nick was able to catch Judy just in the nick of time. Nick was now holding Judy in his arms.

"Judy, are you okay?" Nick asked concerned about Judy's safety.

"I'm... fine." Judy responded. "Thank you... for the save."

"What I said before about you being to light, I take it back." Nick said with a smile.

"Haha! Seems like you're always saving me." Judy said with a light smile.

It looked like Nick and Judy were having another one of their... "moments". It also didn't seem to bother them that the others were watching them. That was... until they heard the click and flash of a camera.

"Huh?" Nick and Judy said both caught off guard.

They turned around to see that Cammy had her camera out and was the one who took the picture.

"Got it! The most perfect shot of you two." Cammy said smiling.

"Ah!" Nick and Judy shouted starting to blush a bit. "Cammy! What the heck?"

"What? This is a nice moment for you two." Cammy said still smiling. "The way that Nick caught you just in time? So awesome. I just had to take the aftermath shot."

"Yeah. It's was so sweet. Nick rushing to save Judy like that." Benji said in an adoring matter.

"Yes. It's ' _amor más allá de las especies'_ all over again." Gazelle saying that it was Love beyond species.

"You guys are getting the wrong idea again." Nick said still looking flustered and a bit mad.

"Really? You didn't see the rest of us dashing in to catch her." Gideon stated. "Also, how long are you gonna hold her, City Boy?"

Nick realized that he WAS still holding on to Judy and Judy realized that she WAS still being carried by Nick. Nick carefully put Judy down to the ground.

"Can we just... open the box now?" Nick asked still red-faced.

"Sure. Sure." Finnick said smirking and holding the key.

"By the way, Cammy, you better guard your camera. There **might** be a chance that someone will break it later." Judy said looking mad at her sister.

Cammy looking a bit scared and slightly turned her camera to the other side of her neck. Her way of protecting it.

With the key now found, the kids all gather around the box in excitement for what it could contain. Nick took the key from Finnick and tried inserting it in the lock.

"So... what do you guys bet..." Nick said as he puts the key into the lock. It fitted and then he gave it a twist. The box was now unlocked. "Yes!"

"The key worked." Judy said happily.

Taking out the lock and putting down the key, now all they needed to do was to see what was in the box.

"So what do you guys think is in the box?" Mervin asked.

"Two things. One: a huge stack of cash. Which is what I'm hoping for. Or two: one of those _friendship_ lesson things that teaches you the value of something."

"Only one way to find out." Nick said.

Nick unlocked the hedge and slowly opened the box. Everyone's hearts were skipping a beat on what could be in there. Cammy was recording this all with her camcorder. After opening the box all the way, they view the boxes content. It... was filled with a bunch of old black and white photos and a letter.

"Huh? Old photos?" Judy said looking confused.

"Oh great. Looks like it's thing #2. Great..." Finnick said with a disappointed look on his face.

A few of the others picked up the photos from the box to observed them. The photos were of an young elephant with many other young mammals.

"These pictures are with different kits that look like around age." Benji stated.

"Hmm... that elephant in most of these pictures... I think it's Alina." Falisha said to everyone.

"Really?" Everyone else said surprised.

"Then these other kits my be her old friends." Gazelle stated.

"A deer, a lion, a otter, a tiger, a aardvark, even a fox. She had quite the crew of friends." Audran said. "Kinda like our group."

"Yeah. I agree." Ronnie said.

As every continued looking at the photos, Nick attention was on the letter in the box. It was folded up and it had the words "To who it may concern." written on it.

"To who it may concern..." Nick said looking at the letter. He then gives the letter to Judy. "Care to do the reading, Judy?"

Judy nodding and then opened up the letter.

"Must be a letter from Alina." Judy said.

Judy began reading the letter to everyone else.

 _If you are reading this, then that means I must be long gone. Even as I write this, I already know my time draws near. Anyway, I'm assuming that you have several questions that were unanswered. Why has no one took over my mansion? Why are there so many treasures here? Why this box is filled with old photos of my childhood? It's all quite simple. So you better be reading everything._

 _As you may have known, I was the last living person in my family. No siblings, no husbands, no children. So I had no one to past any of this stuff down to. As for friends, I didn't had any of those either. Well, not anymore. As a child, I had more friends than I could count. But as the years past, I slowly started to lose touch with all of them. Then when both my mother and father past, I started to grow bitter. I stopped caring about other people and only wanted to do things for myself. You seen some of the empty rooms, yes? No beds, the drawers, nothing but the cold floor. It's cause I didn't want anybody else here. Guests, friends, or even family. I only spend my days getting no treasure for my collection._

 _Then after getting older, I finally realized something. The photos that you are all looking at, I found them all when I was looking around my old stuff. They say an elephant never forgets, yet I completely forgot all about my friends and childhood. Seeing these pictures, I cried so much. I missed spending times with my friends. I missed the good days when I was young. Even went a mansion filled with some of the greatest treasure, nothing was more precious than the time I had with my friends._

 _For the reader or readers of this, I do hope that you are young children so you can understand why I'm writing all this. Value the friendships that you make don't don't be eager to let go of them. Learn from my mistakes and grow from them. Always choose the friendships of others over the world riches._

 _Be well,_

 _Alina Trunkson_

That was the end of the letter. The kids were pretty much frozen in silence. The letter was a bit overwhelming and quite emotional. Benji was already crying quite a lot.

"Wow..." Judy said.

"That's... really sad." Gazelle said looking sad.

"So that's why." Falisha said looking sad too. "The empty rooms and why she did so much on her own."

"But in the end, she was lonely." Finnick said. "No friends and family would do that to you."

"That means she valued these photos more than anything we found in this place." Eric said.

"Yeah." Nick said agreeing looking at some of the photos.

"So what do we do now?" Mervin asked Nick.

"I think we all know what to do." Nick said to everyone.

They all decided to put the photos back into the box and move it back under the bed for the next person to find. But they kept the lock out. They felt it would be easier for everyone else if they didn't had to do half the things the kids had to do. After a few minutes, they all decided to leave the mansion and head home.

"... and that ends our big adventure. Thank you for joining us." Cammy said to her camcorder as she finishes recording.

"I got to say, this wasn't a bad day." Eric said happily. "I think I even kicked my ghost and haunted houses fear."

"One fear down, another 100 to go." Finnick said smirking.

"Watch it, little fox." Eric said angrily to Finnick.

"Hey... everyone?" Benji said sounding worried.

"What's up?" Mervin asked.

"That stuff in the letter, can it happen to us?" Benji asked. "Are we all gonna grow up and stop being friends and grow up bitter like she did?"

Everyone didn't know the right answer to give. Benji might be onto something worrying that they might all stop being friends in the future when they're adults. They couldn't say that wouldn't happen.

"City Boy, got anything to say?" Gideon asked Nick.

"I'm always the advice guy, am I? Uhhh... well... to be honest, maybe one day we all will stop seeing each other as often as we do. But that's what growing up is, right? What matters is what we do now and how we enjoy it with the time we have left."

" _While we're young_ , right?" Judy said with a smile.

" _While we're young_." Nick said with a smile as well.

"While we're young? What's that?" Finnick asked.

"Something Nick told me the first time I came to the city." Judy said.

"Huh. Enjoy things while you're young, so you have no regrets growing up." Finnick said. "I kinda like that."

"Me too." Benji said agreeing.

"It's great advice." Gazelle said happily.

"We should add that to our Zoo-Burrow Scouts handbook." Ronnie suggested.

"Sure. As soon as we start one." Mervin said with a sly smile.

The kids all did some light laughter. It also felt that they friendship and bonds all started to grow deeper.

"Okay. Let's go home." Nick said.

"The day's still young. How about we treat ourselves to something?" Falisha said.

"How about ice cream?" Gazelle suggested.

"I'm thinking pie." Gideon suggested.

"I want some doughnuts." Benji said.

"I want cake." Eric said.

"Is there a place that has all of that stuff together in one treat?" Mervin asked.

"That sounds more horrifying than any ghost." Audran said.

"I disagree. That sounds like it would be awesome." Ronnie said liking the idea.

"I'd tried it." Benji said sounding excited by the idea.

"You'll try anything once." Finnick said to Benji.

As they walked and went on, Judy was in the back admiring the sight of all of the great friends she has made.

"I made so many new friends here in Zootopia. I want to hang out with Nick and the others for as long as I can." Judy thought happily.

A few days later, back at Bunnyburrow, Judy was alone in her bedroom finishing her homework while she heard a knock on her door that made her ears go up.

"It's Cammy!" The voice from behind the door said.

"Come in." Judy shouted out. Cammy did such and was holding a few photo in her paw. "What's up?"

"Just wanted you to know, while I'm still editing our video. All the photos I took just got developed." Cammy said. She then had a sly smirk on her face. "Including... this one."

Cammy then showed Judy the photo she had in her paw. It was the photo of when Nick caught her before she fell to the ground. Both Nick and Judy seem to have very happy expressions on their faces. But seeing this picture, made Judy feel very embarrassed for... **obvious reasons**.

"CAM..."Judy shouted out red-faced before getting her mouth covered by Cammy.

"Before you lose it, listen." Cammy said to her. "This is the **only** copy of this picture. I told no one about this and I swore Eric into secrecy. With that said, I'm giving this to you."

Cammy then stopped covering Judy's mouth and gave the photo to Judy.

"Do what you want with it." Cammy said. "But if I were you, I would keep it. See ya!"

Cammy then left the room, leaving Judy to be by herself and with the photo. As she looked at the picture, she admitted that it was a nice photo of the two of them. So... she decided to keep. She then walked over to her desk and pulling out a white colored notebook with a carrot on it. She opened the notebook up and put the photo in the middle of some blank pages. She then took out her carrot pen and started writing in it.

" _Dear Diary, I had another great day today."_ Judy said as writes down.

 **That's it for this chapter. Sorry that this took so long. This chapter was longer than I expected it to be. So, it seems that Judy happens to have a diary. Wonder what's in it? Find out on the next chapter.**


	28. Chapter 26: Judy's Diary

**Chapter 26. It's only a matter of time until this story hits 30 chapters. Okay, if you remember the end of the last chapter, it was revealed that Judy has a diary that she likes to write in. For this chapter, it will be a follow-up on Judy and her diary entries. It's also basically a recap in the view of Judy's eye. I really wanted to do more chapters with Judy anyway. So doing a chapter like this is fun for me. Okay. Let's start this chapter up.**

* * *

About a month ago, before meeting Nick, Judy was in her older sister Gwen's room. Gwen called Judy into her room so she could give her something. Gwen handed Judy a white colored notebook with a cartoon image of a carrot. Judy was very curious about this notebook.

"A diary?" Judy said looking a bit confused.

"I thought you should have one." Gwen said. "Out of everyone in this house, you seem to have the most on your mind. A diary is the best way to put your thoughts down."

"Hmmm." Judy said taking the diary and looking at it. "You really want to give this to me?"

"Of course. Just be sure to hide it somewhere good." Gwen said to Judy. "You know how rare privacy is in this house."

"Right. Thanks!" Judy said with a smile.

"You're welcome." Gwen said happily. "Alright, you can get going now."

Judy nodded and then made her way out of the room. So Judy now had a diary. Which she didn't know if she would use it much, she still liked the gift. So she went off to her room and began writing her first entry.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Hello! My name is Judy. Judy Hopps. So, Gwen gave me you to write in since it seems that I have a lot on my mind. But to be honest, I don't know what to write in you. Guess I can tell you a bit about myself and my life. I live in a big house in Bunnyburrow with my mom, dad, and my 275 brothers and sisters. We own a carrot farm and grow many vegetables. In my family, nearly everyone is a farmer. It usually a normal, safe, and boring life. But... I don't really want to be a farmer. What I want to do is become a police officer. I want to move to Zootopia, where anyone can be anything, and make the world a better place. It might seem hard, but I want to prove myself to everyone. I will do all I can to make my dream happen. Okay, I think that's all for now. Write more in you later._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _It's me again. This week is the Carrot Days Festival. The biggest festival in Bunnyburrow. There will be games, food from other farms, small rides, and even a talent show. My friends and I are gonna be doing an act for the talent show. It's gonna be really awesome. It will be about the past before prey and predators evolved and about what we want to be when we grow up. My friends, Kyle and Sharla look a bit nervous about the play, but I'm sure they will be okay later on. Bobby, on the other hand, seems to be more than excited about it. He really wants to show his music skills. Still have a few things to finish, but I know we'll all be ready for the play. I can't wait for the talent show. Wish us luck._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today. Today was different. A lot had just happened in a short time. Today was the day of the talent show and our play was a success. Seems like a lot of people liked it. Well, except one heckler by the name of Gideon Grey. Gideon Grey is a fox that's nothing but trouble. He's a major bully and a major jerk. Him and Travis. Two of them were bullying my friends. They even stole Sharla's tickets from her. So I went over to him and told him to stop it. Not a great idea, I admit. He pushed me down, so I double kicked him in the face. He didn't like it, so he got his claws out and was about to strike me with them. But as he was about to, something surprising happened. Another fox came over and stopped him. But this fox, this fox was different than Gideon. His name was Nick and he wanted to protect me. He told Gideon to leave my friends alone and walk away. To my surprise, Gideon actually did that. Also, I was able to get Sharla's tickets back while I was doing that. Nick then helped me up and gave me my police cop back. I didn't know what it was about Nick, but there was something about him. I took one look at his eyes and I could tell he was someone I could trust. Which was weird since my parents always told me to stay away from foxes. So Nick said he saw my play and liked it. I thanked him and noticed that I haven't seen him before. He says it's because he's from Zootopia. Zootopia! He's from the city I always wanted to go. We talked for a bit and he gave me some advice that I will keep in my heart. Then just like that, he left to get back to Zootopia. My friends, Sharla, Gareth, and Libby all teased me saying that Nick was my new "boyfriend". Come on. I just met him. He just a nice boy. A really nice boy. A really nice boy that happens to be a fox. A really nice boy that happens to be a fox and one of the most sweetest boys I have ever met. I feel like I'm talking about him too much. So I think I should stop. Still, I wish I could meet him again. Maybe someday. That's all for now. Write to ya later._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _So, it's been about a week since I have met Nick. For some reason, I have been thinking about him a lot. Mostly about what he said to me about following my dream. He was really sweet. At school, Gideon hasn't been bullying people for a while. Seems that Nick's words really put him in check. As for everyone else, Sharla told a few of the others about Nick. Now everyone has been teasing me about Nick and him being my "boyfriend" again. Seriously, it's not like that. He's just my friend. But he lives in Zootopia. So it's not like I'm gonna see him again anyway. Even if I really want to. I think I'll stop here._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today I got to pick out a stuffed animal I wanted from the toy store. Most of us here have a lot of stuff animal in the house. Mostly bunnies and little carrot ones. As I walked around the store I happen to see a fox one. It was weird, but then it kinda reminded me of Nick. So I wanted it. Mom and Dad didn't think I should get it on the count of rabbits history with foxes. The two of them are always telling us to stay away from foxes and not to trust them. But Nick... I trusted him right off the back. So saying that about all foxes can't be true. Even when I told them that, they seem very unsure. I really wanted it, so I did the one thing that a little kid should always do. Throw a big tantrum. After three minutes, they caved and let me have the little guy. I'm so happy. My other brothers and sisters are giving weird looks why I would want a fox plushie so badly. But I don't care. I wanted it to remind me that some foxes can be good. Just like Nick. That's all for now. Write in you more later._

 _Judy_

 _Hey Diary,_

 _I don't know why, but I have been feeling down lately. A few of my brothers, sisters, and friends have started to notice. They asked me what was wrong and I told them all the same thing. I don't know. To be honest, I think I'm feeling down because of Nick. I really really what to see him again. I only got to know him for about a few minutes, yet those few minutes seem... special to me. Ugh! Why am I acting this way over one fox? I just need to be blunt and get over him and it doesn't help that I keep writing about him in you, diary. Odds are that I will never see him again. So I'll just have to deal with that. Wish me luck._

 _Judy_

 _Diary,_

 _You're not gonna believe who I ran into today. NICK! "Nick" Nick. The same Nick from before. I was soooo happy to see him. His parents and him wanted to have another visit. Us meeting was really just chance. Lucky, huh? I got to meet his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde. They both seemed really nice and a lot like Nick. Mrs. Wilde seem really kind just like my mom and Mr. Wilde seem to be very encouraging. So I asked Nick if he wanted to look around the farm, he seem to like the idea. It was also a good way for us to know each other more. Turns out Nick and I are quite different in many ways. Besides us being a fox and rabbit. Most ways, we are almost complete opposites. Yet, we both feel that we could be really good friends. We even gave each other nicknames. Mine is Carrots while Nick's is Slick. One thing about Nick I found interesting is that he really loves blueberries. Like a lot. He says that our blueberries were the best he's ever had. I feel that it's a bit of a stretch, but he disagrees. I don't think I seen anyone love our blueberries so much. Now Nick and I talked a lot about things. Including about some stuff about my play. Turns out, I may have said some of the wrong things about prey and predators. The truth of things is that both prey and predators can be meek or vicious. That includes these time and age. Nick is really helping me understand a lot. Also, we ran into Gideon Grey again. The school bully. Actually, FORMER school bully. After he and Nick got into a fight, the two of them stopped and talked. Turns out Gideon has been having it bad being in a town full of bunnies. It didn't help that people like me always thought he was bad news either. I feel so stupid thinking that. Gideon actually a nice guy. So him, Nick, and I are all friends now. We then went back to my house. To be honest, both Nick and I were worried about how our parents were getting along. But it turned out that our parents really hit it off. Best part, they liked each other so much, they decided that we should visit each other every week for now on. This is the best news ever. Now Nick and I don't have to say goodbye to each other. It may only be once a week, but that's better than nothing. Next week, we're actually going to visit Zootopia. The greatest city ever. I'm already super excited. I own it all to Nick. I can't barely wait for next week. It's gonna be great._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I just had the best day ever. Today, my family and I went to Zootopia to visit the Wildes. We met up with Nick and his parents at the train station. As we got out, we couldn't believe how amazing the city was. It was even better than in the pictures. So next thing we did was go to Nick's house. It was also their shop. The shop went by the name of "Wilde and Son's". It was a suit and tailoring store owned by Mr. Wilde. It was a small shop, but Mr. Wilde seem to really love his job. Above the shop was the living room. Nick's house was much smaller than our and had less rooms, but it was so much cozier than our house. Later, our parents went out with each other to see some of the sights and a few of us went with Nick to see some of the sights he had in mind for us. We saw some of the buildings, his school, a bakery, and a awesome playground. After all of that, Nick took me on a little tour with just me and him. He showed me the Junior Ranger Scouts HQ and told me how much he wanted to be one. I can totally see him be a scout one day. But Nick told me something else. He said that his family was a bit poor. It was a bit of a shock to me. My family is far from poor and there's is currently 278 of us. Nick doesn't want me to worry about him so much, but how can I. Still, Nick seems to be fine with everything, so I guess I shouldn't worry too much. Nick then wanted to show me a place that I would REALLY love to see. We rode the bus to Savanna Central and we stopped by the ZPD. The Zootopia Police Department. The ACTUAL Precinct 1 building. Since I wanted to be a police officer so bad, I could barely control myself at the sight of it. I just had to go in. Probably not such a good idea. Nick went after me and then we ran into a big scary buffalo. He had a police uniform on, so he was an officer. But he still looked really scary. Then another officer came to us. He was a tiger and was named Officer Tigrelo. He was much less scarier than the other guy. He even seem to know Mr. Wilde. He also inspired me even more to be a cop. Even gave me a sticker. So later, Nick and I went for a snack and then a quick walk around. But as we walked, I started to think about things. We went to a bus bench and talked for a while. I talked to him about the downsides of being a bunny and how the odds me be against me for being a cop. But even with that, I won't give up on my dream. Nick said that he thinks that I'm amazing. Like that I'm the most amazing person he's ever met. I'm surprised that someone like him thinks that. I know I'm not that amazing. If anything, he's the amazing one. He also told this great advice I want to keep in mind. Enjoy things while we're young. I don't know what it is about those words, but I feel like I should keep them close to my heart. For some reason, I just really like being with Nick. It feels like we can talk about anything to each other. When the day ended, my family and I went back to the train station and said our goodbyes to the Wildes. But we knew that it was gonna be for long because we were gonna visit again next week. I can hardly wait for our next visit._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _On the phone, Nick just gave me good news. He now has a uniform for the Junior Ranger Scouts. Now he can join the Junior Ranger Scouts that he wanted to so much. I'm so happy for him. No one deserves to be one more than him. He says that his initiation will be on Saturday. We're visiting on Saturday, so maybe I should go with him. Or maybe I shouldn't. I don't really know. I just know that I'm happy for him. Is it weird that I write about Nick so much? I mean, so far, Nick has been in most of my journal entries. I just like that he's my friends and all. I wouldn't trade his friendship for anything. I gonna wish him all the luck I can on Saturday. Hope things go well now._

 _Judy_

 _GRRRRRRRR! I AM SOOOOO MAD RIGHT NOW!_

 _Hey diary, I can't begin to tell you how mad I am. I second I got home I just had to write in you. So yesterday was supposed to be Nick's initiation to the Junior Ranger Scouts. But those jerks didn't let him join because he was a fox. What's worst is that they "muzzled" him. How could they do something so horrible? You better believe I went over to them to give them a piece of my mind. I wanted to do more to those jerks, but they were 5 of them and only one of me. So I left things the way they were. They jerks really got to Nick. I won't forgive them. They made Nick judge himself and our friendship was at the risk of ending. But I stay strong in believing in Nick and was able to make him stay strong and not give up. But things are not over yet. We need to make this 5 bad excuses for scouts pay for what they did. What we plan on doing is using my trusty carrot pen to record what they are saying. We could play it to their scoutmaster or to some other grownups and get those guys in big trouble. But Nick has another idea. It's quite the trick. He told me that they were a high chance that those jerks would try and steal the pen from me. So what Nick suggested, was that he pretends to go savage and scares them a bit since they seem to hate predators. It seems a bit dark, but they deserve it. We doing the plan on Next Saturday. They are so gonna get it. I just hope I can hold my anger for that long. Til then._

 _Judy_

 _Hey Diary,_

 _It's me again. So, I have quite a bit to write about today. Nick and I, we got back at the scouts for what they did to him. The plan worked like a charm. Recording what they said really frazzled them. Nick also made a good call with the whole "savage" thing. He almost had me fooled. Almost. Afterwards, Nick talked some sense into each of them and they seem to finally understand. They even wanted Nick to join for real. But the surprising thing is that Nick turned them down. Nick didn't like the idea of being with a group that judged him for what he was. Also, it turned out he wasn't the only victim. So even if Nick wanted to be part of the scouts so bad, he didn't want to be in a group that was so simple-minded. Also, before we left, Nick deleted the recording we made of them. He said that they were already dirty enough and threw the muzzle they put on him back at them. As we left, I started feeling really bad. Nick gave up his dream to be a scout and I feel it was because of me. But Nick told me he made the right choice and I think so too. He's even planning to start his own pack. Of course, he gonna need my help too. Nick's more motivative than ever now. I'm glad to help him. Also... I... uh... to make him feel better, I may have kissed him. ON THE CHEEK! And it was just to make him feel better. It's not like I have a crush on him or anything. We're just friends. JUST friends. But I do get a weird feeling when I'm with him. I feel like I'm talking about him. I'll leave things here and talk about more things next time._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I have a lot to write again. Remember when I said Nick wanted to form his own pack? Well, he did and it was a big success. We call it "The Zoo-Burrow Scouts". It refers to our members being from both Zootopia and Bunnyburrow. We had a lot of new friends to join our group. Not only my brothers, Cole and Conner, but Gideon joined in as well. There also a hyena named Mervin, and bear named Ronnie, a moose named Audran, a white tiger named Falisha, a sloth named Flash, and a nice cheetah called Benjamin. We call him Benji. He's very nice. Everyone is. Our first mission was to help Nick's dad and his store. We wanted to help him get more customers and make more money. We split up to pull this off. I was with Nick, Gideon, and Benji trying to come up with an idea. Nick had something that came to mind when we went to Tundratown. We also met another one of Nick's new friends. A fennec fox who goes by Finnick. Finnick is rough around the edges. Also, he's smaller than your average fox. Seriously, he's closer to bunny height. But enough of his height. So our idea was to sell paw-print popsicles called pawpsicles. Make a hundred pops, sell a hundred pops for $2 each, make $200 total. The plan worked. Up until we met up with Officer Tigrelo again. He told us that selling our pawpsicles without a permit was a bit of a no-no. We had to pay a bit of a few. But only $2 since Officer Tigrelo like us so much. We were able to make a good amount of money. While we may have succeeded, the others didn't do as well. Once more, my brothers, Audran, and Ronnie had a run-in with the Junior Ranger Scouts. The same ones from before. We all had mixed feelings about this. Nick still had some huge angry feeling for the five of them. Seem that he hated them more than anyone of us put together. Not that I don't understand. He told us all that he had nightmares during the time they muzzled him and after those, he said he had reverse nightmares. They were... darker then I expected. I shouldn't write about them. But in the end, we all let Nick know that we care about him and that he's our friend. No matter what. Finnick even gave out some good advice. After that, Nick started feeling way better. We have a good group with us. I feel that happy to be apart of this group. So after the talking, we went back to Mr. Wilde's shop and the most amazing thing happen. The store was packed. It even had a line. A BIG line. According to Nick, that's never happened before. Somehow, the store was packed with more customers than it ever had. The question was how. The answer, it was the Scouts. They said they went over to people and told them to support the store. They also came clean to their scoutmaster. They, of course, got kicked out of the scouts. I don't feel sorry for them. They deserved to be kicked out. They... apologized to Nick and actually sound sincere. The woodchuck even puts the muzzle on himself. Guess they really were sorry for what they did. Eventually, Nick anger went away. So did mine. Nick felt staying angry at them would just make us turn bitter and he's right. But it's not like we will just forgive them and forgot what they did. So Nick's putting them on probation for the time being. That's fine with me. For now. I'll just be sure to keep an eye on those guys. Overall, it wasn't a bad first day for the Zoo-Burrow Scouts. Let's hope things get even better in the future._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _So an flu has been going around and a few of my brothers and sisters. I feel fine. I mean I have been sneezing a bit. But I'm not sick. No way I'll be sick because it could mess up this week's visit to Zootopia. I'll just do what I can to prevent being sick. No way I'm not visiting Nick. That's all for now._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Not gonna lie, I have been feeling under the weather. But I'll be fine. It's not like I'm actually sick. I'll be fine by the time I visit Nick on Saturday. I just need to hang in there. Right more in you next time._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I'm sick. Very sick. Most of my family is sick too. I won't be able to visit Nick. I'm so sad right now that I don't even what to write anything else._

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Yes, I'm still sick. But guess what? Nick called. He wanted to know how I was doing. I told him I could be better if I wasn't feeling so clammy. Nick sounded a bit worried about me at first. It was sweet that he cares enough to be concerned for me. But I don't want him to worry about me like I worry about him. So we talked about a few things. School, the scouts, how we were both doing, the usual stuff. I also was trying to convince Nick to visit us at Bunnyburrow again. There are still many of my siblings that he hasn't met yet. He's already learning about each of their names and who they are because of the list and photos I gave it. I don't really believe Nick can do that just yet. But then again, Nick is a pretty smart fox. I promised Nick that I would get better by next week. So I will be sure to do that. I also want to be healthy for school too. You know, after talking to Nick, I actually feel a whole lot better. Guess I have another thing to thank him for. Alright, I'm gonna go rest up now. Thanks for letting me write all my feelings in you, Diary._

 _Judy_

 _PS: Sorry for sneezing on you a few times. Promise not to do it so much next time._

 _Dear Diary,_

 _So this weekend was... wow. It was a lot to handle. Get ready for another big entry. This weekend, we invited Nick and his parents to stay the weekend at our house. So that would mean that they would be the first foxes we invite to stay over. A family of foxes staying over at a house of bunnies. You don't see that often. Nick and I were very excited about this. A few of my siblings as well. Including Greg, Eric, Cole, and Conner. The four of them wanted to be roommates with Nick. Boys. But it's a good thing as that they are getting along with Nick so well. Actually, everyone got along with Nick so well. I had to admit, I was worried. So the first day, it worked out pretty well. The second day, it was... I'm just gonna say it. TOTAL CHAOS! See, as Nick got to know all my brothers and sisters, he found out that none of them wanted to do anything else besides being farmers like our parents. I already told Nick about this, but he seem to be a lot more upset about it meeting up with them all. He talked to me about it, but I told him not to get involved with our family's business. But then I realized something too late. It was Nick. He may not be that much of a sly fox, but he's still a very sly fox. He went behind my back and changed nearly half the minds of my whole family. Basically causing anarchy Now normally, I would be happy about that. But so many at once? Has he not met my parents? It's too much of a change and it would have put my mom and dad's stress out the window. My family would have gone down like a Junga tower. I was right too. It also didn't help that I also didn't put out the fire and just made it spread out even more as Nick put it. I been trying to get my family to do more for years. Nick got it done in a day thanks to his "fox logic". It didn't help the situation. Mom stressed. Dad passed out. We didn't know what to do. So Mr. and Mrs. Wilde told us to go outside for a bit while they talked to them. Outside, most of us were arguing while Nick was feeling sorry for his actions. To be honest, I was actually glad he did what he did. He's open my families eyes to a world bigger than the one we have. Him and his parents. We were all worried that this may be our last visit. But after the while, Mr. Wilde called us back in. I don't know what they said to our parents, but both mom and dad seem okay with everything now. They even seem to be okay with whatever we want to do when we grow up. This was nearly unbelievable. My parents are okay with trying and change. It's all thanks to Nick and his parents. It feels like I owe him so much already. I'm really glad to have him as a friend. In the end, everything worked out. It was a crazy weekend, but still a great one. Can't wait for the next one. That's all for now._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Nick, Benji, Finnick, and I made a new friend. Her name is Gazelle. She just moved to Zootopia and she's really nice. She's Spanish so she's not that great in English. But at least she knows some of the language. One thing we all like about her is her singing. She has quite an amazing singing voice. Not only that, she seems to be a big believer in Mammal Equality. She doesn't even seem to be bothered with Nick and Finnick being foxes or Benji being a cheetah. But then again, Benji is as innocent as a newborn cub. We showed Gazelle a bit around town so she could get to know everything. She told that things are different from where she's from. This includes prey and predators going to different schools. Kind of hard to believe. Even in my school, there are plenty of prey and predator kids. Gazelle also called Nick and me odd since a fox and a rabbit usually don't get along so well. We told that we were the best of friends that anyone could be. She got the wrong idea and thought we were a couple. We're just friends. We don't make "kiss kiss" as she put it. NOT including the one time I DID kiss him. Gazelle liked the others think that we are a couple. But we're not. Just two really good friends. Changing the subject, The five of us later went out for ice cream. The place we went to sell some crazy sized sundaes. But the elephant owning the show didn't want to serve foxes. I was gonna stick out for Nick and Finnick, but Gazelle beat me to it. She was able to convince the elephant to serve us. Gazelle is really something else. We also asked her to join our pack and she said yes. So now we have another new member. Good thing too. We were having too many boys. After the long day, we said goodbye to Gazelle and hope to see her again soon now that she was a part of our pack. It was another great day. I hope we can have more days just like this real soon._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _It seems that our group is growing more and more. Nick had just met up with some of my other friends. He ran into Bobby and Kyle when we were at the Farmer's market. Seems like they got along with Nick really well. I told them a lot about Nick, so it was like they already knew him. We later met up with the others. Sharla, Gareth, Libby, Gideon, and Travis. Besides Gideon, everyone else already met Nick before. So many of them were more than happy to see me. Course, once again, they called Nick my boyfriend without the space in the middle. I don't know what it is, but it seems like everyone gets their kicks making fun of Nick and I. Anyway, Travis brought a ball along and we played catch for a bit. We also got to know each other more as we played. It was a good thing that everyone decided to forgive Gideon. Now we can all be really good friends. Nick also decided to ask everyone if they wanted to join the Zoo-Burrow Scouts. They all said yes. So now we have 4 more members. Both Nick and I are super happy with our group. Someday soon, we hope to get all of our friends to visit each other. That's all for now. Til next time._

 _Judy_

 _PS: Once again, Nick and I are NOT boyfriend and girlfriend. Just good friends. Got it?_

 _Hello Diary,_

 _This weekend, I got to know more about Nick's parents, Francine Wilde and John Wilde. I always thought Nick's parents were pretty cool, yet I didn't really knew much about them. So it was a good time to start. First I got to know about Mrs. Wilde. The two of us had juice and cookies as we talked. Mrs. Wilde said when she was my age that she was a bit of a stick-in-the-mud and always follows the rules. Which is good, but according to her, she never really knew how to have fun. She said she changed when she met Mr. Wilde. Mrs. Wilde said that Mr. Wilde was a "bad boy", but I find that really hard to believe. But I do believe that he was very free-spirited. Mrs. Wilde said that Mr. Wilde like doing things his own way and not by the book like everyone else. She also said he was clever, which explains while Nick's the same way. As time pass, Mrs. Wilde and Mr. Wilde fell more in love with each other. From what I remember, the day they reunited with each other, Mr. Wilde proposed right off the back. Surprising, yes. But it seem to work out for those two. I then ask her if I could look at some photos of the family. I saw Mrs. Wilde when she was a kid, her with Mr. Wilde, even some pictures of cute baby Nick. You know what? I shouldn't even call him cute. Even if he always call me that knowing darn well that I hate it. Mrs. Wilde seems to really care for Nick. She's quite a loving mother. She actually reminds me a lot like my mom. Guess that why they get along so well. Mrs. Wilde said that because of me, I kept the light in Nick's heart strong and he has so much friends because of it. I still don't think I did that much. Not compared to Nick. Here's something weird that happened. Mrs. Wilde asked me to take care of her son when I get older. Does that mean what I think it means? Does she expect me to marry her son or something? Cause I don't know how I feel about that. Then again she did say she was joking. Yet, I still feel that wasn't all the way a joke. So after I was done with Mrs. Wilde, I went over to Mr. Wilde at his workshop. It seemed like he was catching of Zs when I woke him think I like about Mr. Wilde is that he's the complete opposite of how a fox is seen by most people. He's a very cool person. I already told you that he was a tailor, right? And that he runs "Wilde and Son"? Well originally, he wanted a bigger store called Suitopia. But he could never get a loan because of him being a fox. Stupid, right? Yet, Mr. Wilde seems to be fine with the way things are now. So I always thought Mr. Wilde always wanted to be a tailor. But it turned out he was originally working for City Hall. He said he quit because he was being treated unequally. He even poured coffee down his superior's pants. I thought that was actually pretty funny. The reason for Mr. Wilde wanting to be a tailor is because he believes that with the right suit, anyone can look the part of not being scary or looking conniving. He hopes that one day that everyone in Zootopia will know about him and his suits. Such a great dream to have. Mr. Wilde doesn't give into pressure. He stays honest and true to himself, even when others don't believe his. Nick has such an amazing dad. But it feels like he worries that he doesn't do enough. He said that he didn't raise Nick the way his father raised him. The problem was that the world's still judge foxes and can't see the good in most of them. But I know that Mr. Wilde did a great job raising Nick. He's the reason why I have such a great friend. So I be sure to do anything to help him. Mr. Wilde gave me a wide and told me that I made his family's world better and told me that I'm always welcome in his family. I grateful to that. But there's one other thing. He... uh... said Wilde men are known for their charm and should keep that in mind in case I end up falling for Nick. Okay, WHAT IS WITH EVERYBODY THINKING NICK AND I ARE A THING?! First our friends, now his parents? It's not like we are actually gonna be a couple one day, right? You know what? I'm gonna stop bringing this up. Nick and I. Friends. Friends that care about each other a lot. Friends can do that. Okay, I think I've written enough for you. Hopefully, the next entry won't be so long. Write more in you later._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Remember when I said the next entry wouldn't be so long. Well, you might want to clear a few pages cause a lot has happened this weekend. It all started when Nick called an emergency meeting. He called all of us over to the basement. And by all of us, I'm including the former ranger scouts too. Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed. Now, I already told you about them and how they muzzled Nick. To be honest, I was surprised to see them let alone find out that Nick was the one that called them. All of us were still pretty mad at them for what they done. But to my surprise, the most angry was Mervin. Even more than Nick. It was like he was holding on to this big grudge. Anyway, the reason why Nick called us was because Nick listen in on one of his parents' conversations. A company that rejected Mr. Wilde's idea for Suitopia changed their mines and wanted to invest in it. With the money, Mr. Wilde could finally make Suitopia a reality. But... while it sounded good, it was also bad. The main reason why was because the company knew that Mr. Wilde's store has been doing well recently. It was... how Gideon put it? "That they realized what they been missing out and now want a slice of the pie." None of us wanted Mr. Wilde to be taking advantage of. So we all agreed to do some recon. Even Chuck and the others wanted to help. Mervin seem to be completely against working with those guys. But after Nick cooled him out, he seem to be okay with it. But Nick made an agreement with Mervin. If those 5 did anything bad, we kick them out for good. No questions ask. They were already in thin ice and it wasn't like I didn't agree with Mervin, so I was fine with the idea too. Later, we find out the name of the company. It was called Lupuscis INC. and it was owned by Alexander Lupuscis. A grey wolf who was very cunning. Phillip's dad use to work for him until he was fired. He also said that Lupuscis INC. use to be one of the biggest investment companies in all of Zootopia. But they made a few bad business deals. Deals they invested in didn't do well and deals they turned down turned out to be big successes. So if that was the case for Mr. Wilde, they were just using him as a stepping stool. Finnick seems to be completely against the thought of that. It seemed that Finnick really respected Nick's dad as a person. Not know enough about Lupuscis, we decided to head over to do some more recon on who he was. We took the subway to get there. As we did, we are got to talking. Nick told me about his dad always being tired after work when he worked for City Hall. Yet he always seem to have energy when it came to Nick. Nick also told me that he's not like his dad. Mr. Wilde is strong-willed, but Nick said it isn't like that. His dad can handle pressure, but if it wasn't for me, Nick would have give up on everything. Mervin and Finnick seem to easily put the blame on Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed. It's true that mammals like them can crush a mammal's spirit, but it's not like the full blame is on them. The 5 of them did told us something. Apparently since the truth came out on what they did, their parents haven't been on "speaking terms" with them. I felt that they deserved it, but I also felt sorry for them. Which is the first I can really say about those guys. Finnick then started talking about things. Even if Finnick wasn't muzzled by those five, he had a lot of choice words for them. Finnick says that his family doesn't have much and they had to scrap everything they had to get by. Just like Nick does. Guess that's why Finn likes money so much. He also says that money doesn't mean a thing unless you have the respect from it. Hard work and dedication. Finnick then told us about his life a bit. He said growing up, most people just treated him as if he was a criminal. It never help that he was a fox and that he was small. He even got into fights sometimes. I never would have guess Finnick had it so bad. But he used all that to toughen himself up. When he met Nick and the rest of us, things started getting better for him. But even so, it was like foxes and other predators were cursed. Finnick, like the rest of us, wants nothing more than prey and predators to finally be treated as equals. I do too. More than ever now. So when we finally made it to Lupuscis INC., only Nick went up to see him. I thought that he would be fine, but when he came back, Nick was really mad. I don't think I've ever seen Nick so angry. Lupuscis insulted Mr. Wilde's shop and his family's lifestyle. I started feeling just as mad as Nick. There was no way any of us were gonna be okay with this. Except, Chuck and the others stated that this might be Mr. Wilde's last chance to open his dream store. Mervin had some more "choice words" for the five of them. He never got over the muzzling. It was because they laughed. Mervin loves laughing, but not that kind of way. He said some things I rather now write down and five of the boys ran off. Afterwards, Mervin regretted what he said and then left. Mr. and Mrs. Wilde were then concern about this, so they came down to check on us. Nick had to tell them the true and about us knowing about Lupuscis. Even with everything Nick's told them, Mr. Wilde was still considering taking the offer. Nick wasn't happy about it and said that he wanted his dad to start thinking about himself for once instead of him or Mrs. Wilde. So as you would guess, things were starting to fall apart for our group. The next day was the day of Mr. Wilde's decision. I was pretty bummed about everything that has happened. My brother, Edgar, tried to cheer me up. Which is surprising. Edgar is the least cheery out of all my siblings. He told me that Mervin angry was understandable, but I shouldn't be to mad with Chuck and the others. If I did that, I would be no different than them. He was right too. More on that later. So the others met up with me as Nick tried to cheer up Mervin. It didn't work. The poor hyena was too depressed. But just as things were getting from bad to worst. Audran told us all that Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Ed, and Darwin never came home. They ran away from home. It was are fault. We pushed them to the edge. We had to stop everything just to find them. We found them sitting on the stairs of the Junior Ranger Scouts HQ. Nick talked to them, but we heard everything. Chuck and the other were having a pretty bad life. Everyone in their school knew what they did and nearly everyone hated them now. Kids, teachers, other parents. There life was taking a turn for the worst. Nick couldn't stay mad at them. I couldn't stay angry with them. So we all decided to forgive them. Mervin too. With two of the problems solved, we only had one left to handle. Mr. Wilde's decision. Lucky for us, we had a plan. Remember our plan with the scouts before? We just did a similar plan with Lupuscis. We just use the carrot pen again. Add a video camera and we had all we needed. We hustled the CEO big time. Mr. Wilde told him he wouldn't use the recording or the video if he gave him the money from the original deal with no strings attached. Lupuscis caved and gave him the cash. Now Mr. Wilde has the money to start plans for Suitopia. I'm happy for him. Lastly, we officially decided to take Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed off of probation and let them join for real. So long as they stay good. If not, then they would have to deal with Nick's mom. They seem very scared of Mrs. Wilde, so I think we're gonna be okay. It was a crazy weekend. Wow! I written a lot. If all my entries are gonna be like this, I'm gonna new another diary. Or shorter entry. Guess Gwen was right. I do have a lot on my mind. Guess I have Nick to thank for that. Alright. That's all for now. Write more in ya later._

 _Judy_

 _Hey Judy,_

 _I realized something for a while now. Nick is in nearly in all of my journal entries. Is that weird? Is it weird for a bunny to think about a fox so much? I mean, I care about Nick a lot and I know the two of us are really close. But is it really okay? I think I'm thinking too much of it. Nick's my friend and that's that. It's not like I'm falling for him or anything. Haha! Okay, I think I'll stop here for now._

 _Judy_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I had another great day. We checked out the mansion of Alina Truckson. She was this wealthy elephant who lived about over 50 years ago. Nick thought it would be cool if we check it out and I agreed. Also joining us were my brother, Eric, and my sister, Cammy. The mansion was AMAZING. So many cool stuff. Items from the beginning of the evolution cycle, Egyptian stuff, pirates stuff, old books, old kitchenware, and other things. The place was so amazing. But they were a few things that bother most of us. The whole second floor of the mansion had rooms that were actually completely empty. It made a lot of us wonder why. You won't believe what we found out. So we were able to find this box. After finding the key in a fake book, we open the box to find out what was inside it. Finnick was hoping for money, but all we got were old photos and a letter. The photos were of Alina in her childhood. It turned out she had a lot of friends. But as she got older, she lost touch with all her friends and family. She mentioned in the letter that she values the old times she had over the treasures she got. It was pretty sad. As we left, Benji seems to worry about things. To be honest, I am too. What if we do end up the same as Alina. Nick said that maybe one day that will happen, but what really matters is what we do now and how we enjoy it with the time we have left. In other words, enjoy things while we're young. I got to say, those words, while we're young, they are really growing on me. I want to do more with Nick and all my other friends for as long as I can. I don't want any regrets. Well, that's all for now. Write more in you next time._

 _Judy_

 _PS: The photo between your pages is of Nick and I. Taken by my sneaky sister, Cammy. I fell from a bookshelf and Nick caught me in the "nick" of time. In a way, I guess I can always count on Nick to catch me when I fall._

 _Hey Judy,_

 _I want to be forward with you. How do you know when you "like" someone? On second thought, nevermind._

 _Judy_

 **That's all for this chapter. Boom! Quick update! Well, this was the end of Judy's journal entries. Hope you all like this little twist of my usual chapters. As you can see, a lot of Judy's entries mentioned Nick. What could this mean? Hmmm? Guess we will have to find out in the near future. Til the next chapter.**


	29. Chapter 27: The Meet-and-Greet

**Here we all are at chapter 27. I think this is gonna be another great chapter. For this chapter, it will be all about the Zoo-Burrow Scouts. This will also be the first official time where all the members meet up with each other. Zootopia members and Bunnyburrow members. I wanted to do a chapter like this long ago. So now is the perfect time. Might even have a fluff moment or two. I'll try not to make these as long as I need to. Let's get on with the chapter.**

* * *

Today was a special Saturday for Nick, Judy, and their friends. Everyone was at the usual spot, the basement at Nick's house, for a Zoo-Burrow Scout Meeting. All the kids were in their uniforms as Nick spoke in front of them. With Judy by his side of course.

"Hey everyone! Welcome to today's Zoo-Burrow Scout Meeting." Nick said happily to everyone. "Today is a pretty special day because this is the first time that ALL of our members are here."

When Nick said everyone, he met everyone. Not just his Zootopia friends, but his Bunnyburrow friends as well. Benji, Finnick, Mervin, Gazelle, Flash, Falisha, Ronnie, Audran, Gideon, Cole, Conner, Kyle, Bobby, Sharla, Gareth, Libby, Travis, Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed. Quite a big group, isn't it?

"First off, I must say, this group has grown quite a lot since we first started." Nick said looking pleased. "I was worried it wouldn't be over 5 members, let alone over 20. With the way things are, we may need a bigger place for meetings now."

"First order of business is that we would like to thank all our Bunnyburrow members for joining us here today." Judy said with a smile.

"Thank you for inviting us." Kyle said happily.

"We all wanted to come to Zootopia anyway." Sharla stated.

"But Nick... is your dad okay with all of us being here?" Gareth asked looking concern. "He seems to had this upset look on his face."

"Oh... that." Nick said in a low tone. "That was pop's "My son has so many friends now. I'm so happy I could cry." face."

"Ohhhhhhh." Everyone else went.

"Yeeeeah... Pop can be a bit... emotional when it comes to me. But he means well." Nick said while scratching the back of his head. "He does have a good reason to be happy."

"He does. Anyway, as some of you may have noticed, many of you guys don't really know each other. So that's why we're all calling today's meeting "The Zoo-Burrow Scouts' Meet-and-Greet"." Judy said. "Since there is so many of us here, we'll all need to take the time to know each other. Let it be someone you already know or someone you are just meeting today. Nick and I will also join in the conversations."

"We also have plenty of snacks. Chips, cookies, and punch are all on that table over there." Nick said pointing at a table with the snacks and bowl of fruit punch. "Our only rule is that you all be nice to one another. One of the rules that we have in this pack is that we see each other for who we are and not what we are."

"With that said..." Judy said.

"... let the meet-and-greet begin." Both Nick and Judy said happily.

So each of the kids and got some snacks and punch and then got into groups of two to four and started talking to each other. So far, it seems like everything was going pretty well. Everyone was having a good time.

One of the two people having a conversation were Gideon and Mervin. Nick knows a lot about the two of them, yet the two of them don't really know much about each other. So it was a great time for them to talk.

"So Gid, you have known Nick for a while now, right?" Mervin asked.

"Oh yes. I knew City Boy the same time Judy did." Gideon stated before looking worried. "But... uhhh... we weren't really on 'friend' terms yet."

"Ah. Because you were a bully back then." Mervin said.

"Oh. You knew about that?" Gideon said scratching the back of his head and feeling embarrassed.

"Nick and Judy already told us." Mervin said. "But they also told us that things were hard for you in Bunnyburrow. So we can understand."

"Yeah. Things were rough. Up until I met Nick." Gideon said. "The day I met him was the day of the Carrot Days Festival. I stole tickets from Sharla and Judy was crazy enough to try and stand up to me. She even gave me a mighty good kick in the face." Gideon stated rubbing his lower jaw. "I **would** have clawed her if City Boy didn't stop me in the last second. He was already willing to defend Judy without even knowing her. Can you believe that?"

"This is Nick we're talking about. Of course, I believe that." Mervin stated.

"Yeah. He told me if I laid a single claw on Judy, he would lay all his claws on me. Even if I wasn't really afraid to take on Nick, it was the glare he was giving me." Gideon said. "It was like he was saying "Do the right thing and walk away.". So I did that."

"Huh. So what made you two become friends?" Mervin asked.

"Well... the second time we actually got into a fight." Gideon said.

"Yeeeesh!" Mervin said putting his paw on his face.

"Buuuuut afterwords, Nick talked some sense to me and before I knew it, I stopped bullying and the two of us became friends. Settled things with Judy too." Gideon said. "He helped me be who I really was. I own City Boy a lot."

"Hmmm. Same for me." Mervin said with a smile. "Hey! Can I ask why you call Nick 'City Boy'? You know the rest of us are from here too."

"Oh. That. When I met him I didn't know his name yet. But I could tell that he was from the city by the way he looked, the way he talked, and the way he smelled. After that, the nickname stuck." Gideon stated.

"Okay. Makes sense." Mervin said.

"So, how did you and City Boy became buds?" Gideon asked.

"You know, met at lunch, heard what he did, he said some jokes, I laughed, friendship." Mervin said. "To be honest, I still feel like I should have been friends with him sooner."

"Seems like everyone says that about him. Judy too." Gideon said.

"Yeah. It's like... those two have a certain 'something' that brings people together." Mervin said. "I mean, look at everyone here. Makes me glad to be a part of this group."

"Haha! Me too." Gideon said smiling.

It looked like Mervin and Gideon were getting along quite well. So who else was getting along well? Let's go to see how Judy and Falisha were doing. Judy and Falisha have been on good terms with each other, but it was the first time to they a good conversation.

"So Fal, is this group boring to you now?" Judy asked.

"Not even the slightest." Falisha said with a smile. "But I do feel that we have too many guys in this group."

"Agreed. I may not have a nose like Nick or Gideon, but even I can notice the overwhelming smell of **'boy'** in this room." Judy stated since there were more boys than girls in this group.

"Still... they are nice boys." Falisha said.

"Agreed... again." Judy said nodding.

"So Jude, tell me about yourself. I don't really know much about you. Other than you're from the Burrows and have a huge family." Falisha said.

"Not really much to know." Judy honestly said. "Lived in Bunnyburrow for my whole life, most of my family are farmers, have waaaaay too many brothers and sisters, and before I met Nick, my life has been pretty boring."

"Really?" Falisha said sounding surprised.

"Really. Life is boring in the Burrows." Judy stated. "My family also didn't do much besides farming. We didn't even go on vacations. If it wasn't for meeting Nick and his parents, there would be no way my parents would come to Zootopia."

"So you have Nick to thank." Falisha said. "Haha! Nicky seems to own you a lot."

"It's more like... we own each other a lot." Judy said while scratching the back of her head. "Okay Fal, tell me about yourself."

"Myself? Well... I suppose I can tell you a bit. But like you, it's not much to talk about." Falisha said. "I live with my mom, dad, and my older sister, Lola. But my sister will be going to college soon. My mom's a doctor and my dad's an accountant. The both of them work long hours, so my sister looks out for me most of the time. Lola is a pretty smart tiger. She said that she wants to get into law."

"Law? Does she want to be a police officer?" Judy asked sounding interested.

"No. She wants to be a lawyer. A defense lawyer." Falisha said. "One time, our dad was accused of a crime he didn't commit. Most other people believed that he did it too because... you know. Tigers can be scary. But the defense lawyer who defended our dad in court, he was amazing. He was able to prove from the shadow of a doubt that our dad was innocent. Lola was thankful and inspired to be a defense lawyer too." Falisha then took a sip of the punch she was holding. "These days too many of the wrong people go to jail while the bad ones get out scot-free. Most of the time it for what they are and not who they are. That's what my sister said."

"Was that the same case for your father?" Judy asked.

"You guessed right. They would think that big scary tiger was taking money when the culprit was really a dirty rat." Falisha said. "Lola wants to grow up make sure there's no more discrimination when it comes to the law."

"Wow! Sounds like your sister is really cool." Judy said admiring Falisha's sister.

"Yeah. She kinda reminds me of you." Falisha said with a smile.

"So Fal, what do you want to do when you grow up?" Judy asked.

"I'm not sure actually. Sis can do her lawyer thing, but I want to follow my own path and do my own thing." Falisha said.

"Heh. I can relate to that." Judy said boldly.

"Because you chose to be different from all the other bunnies?" Falisha asked with a smirk.

"See? You know me so well." Judy said smirking as well.

"Haha! You know, I DID had my doubts about this group at first. But now that I got to know everyone better, there's no place I'd rather be." Falisha said with a smile.

"That's another thing we can agree on." Judy said happily.

"Anyway Judy, when we go up, you better be the best bunny cop out there. I won't forgive you for anything less." Falisha told the little bunny.

"Who do think you're talking to? I'm gonna do my best when the time comes." Judy said confidently.

"Good." Falisha said smiling.

Judy and Falisha seem to be getting along just fine. How about Nick and Benji? Benji was finishing his cookies while talking to Nick.

"Can you believe how great this whole thing turned out?" Nick asked Benji looking excited. "I never would have thought that this would be such a hit."

"I know. Glad that I decided to join." Benji said with a smile.

"Glad that you wanted to join." Nick said smiling as well. "To be honest, I was really worried that this group would be a bit of a flop. You know how most people are with foxes."

"I know. You must have had it really bad." Benji said looking a bit down.

"I managed." Nick said to Benji.

"At least one of us did." Benji said looking a bit sad.

"Ben? Is something wrong?" Nick asked looking concerned.

"Nick, you've always been completely honest with us. Now I think it's time to be honest with you." Benji told him. "You know how before you met Judy and the rest of us that you didn't have much friends? Well... I think the same can be said about me."

Nick's eyes widen as he hears Benji said that. But by his tone, Nick could tell Benji was telling the truth.

"Everyone thinks since I'm a cheetah, I'm supposed to be this fast and slim kid instead of a slow and chubby one like my dad." Benji stated looking really sad. "Everyone made fun of me for my weight and I was picked last for everything. Everyone judged me for how I was on the outside. Just cause I'm different from the usual body type."

"Aww Ben. I had no idea." Nick said feeling bad for not knowing.

"I really wanted to make friends, so I tried joining the Junior Ranger Scouts. We both know how that went." Benji said to Nick.

"Yeah..." Nick said trying to forget.

"So when I heard about you and how you were forming your own pack, I felt that it was a place I could finally belong." Benji said with a light smile. "But I will be honest. I'm still a bit worried if I actually do belong here."

Nick then walked closer to Benji and patted him on his right side.

"Ben... let me tell you something. You are a great guy. Scratch that. You're one of the best friends I've ever had." Nick told him. "When Judy and I first met you, we both could tell that you would be literally one of the nicest kids we would ever meet. And we were right. So don't let what others say bother you cause they're, as pop would put it, the big idiots." Nick then smiled at Benji some more. "So you don't have to worry about anything... because I think I speak for everyone when I say that´s where you belong."

Tears began to form in Benji's eyes.

"Awwwwwwwwww! Niiiiiick!" Benji said squealing a bit. Benji then lifted up Nick and gave him a big hug. A little too tight for Nick's taste. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had too."

"Ben... hugging... too tight." Nick said as Benji squeezed him. "This is what I get for making friends instead of being a conniving fox." Nick thought.

While Benji finally lets go of Nick, there were still conversations going on. This included Finnick with the twins, Cole and Conner. Finnick was always curious about Judy's family. So he had quite a few questions for the twins.

"Soooo... you two are really bunny girl's brothers?" Finnick asked the twins.

"You know you don't have to refer to our sis as 'bunny girl'." Conner said to Finnick. "But yeah. We're here brothers."

"We're from the litter after her. We're about 10 months younger than her." Cole said.

"Huh." Finnick said. "So... is it true that in your house there are 278 people living there, including you?"

"Yeah. It's true." Cole and Conner said.

"Next question, HOW?" Finnick shouted. "How can a house even stay stable with 278 bunnies living in it?"

"Who said anything about our house being 'stable'?" Cole said using air quotes on stable. "It's chaos every day in our house."

"To be honest, there are times when some of us wish to be an only child." Conner said. Feeling offended, Cole slowly turned his head to his twin and gave him a mad glare. Conner notices this and started to feel bad. "Sorry."

"Hmm. I see. In that case, why did your parents decide to have so many of you?" Finnick asked.

"You tell us." Cole said. "There are many reasons for that. Whether it's simply because it's what rabbits do or to make sure there are plenty of us to keep the family business going."

"Makes sense. But I'm assuming there are still other members of your family tree that help with the farm." Finnick stated.

"To be honest, both mom and dad have fewer siblings than we do." Conner stated. "I mean it's not a small amount, but it's not as big as the number of siblings we have. Not only that, our dad is really the only one who took over the farm."

"Just a few of our uncles, aunts, and older cousins." Cole said.

"Really?" Finnick said sounding a bit surprised.

"Not all of us settled in becoming farmers." Cole stated.

"What about you two?" Finnick asked.

"The same can be said about us." Conner said. "Up until a few months ago, we were okay with settling and just being farmers like every other bunny."

"That was... before we heard what you said." Cole said. "Do you remember?"

"You mean the stuff I said in the bakery? Of course." Finnick said.

"True is, you were right. Most grown-ups talk about other mammals like us and think that they know what's best. But they really don't. They were wrong about foxes and other predators and we almost went with it." Conner said.

"Up until then, we believed them and thought only a bunny can be a bunny. So we want to say... sorry for thinking all foxes were bad." Cole said sincerely.

"Nah. It's cool. It´s not like we're aren't used to it." Finnick said. "True be told, I'm not exactly a 'good' fox in most terms. Well... not really a 'bad' fox either."

"Right." Conner said.

"So Finn, tell us about yourself." Cole said.

"Not much to say. Only child and at my house it's just my mom and my old man." Finnick said. "Actually... while my regular family is small, I actually have quite a big family myself."

"Really?" Cole and Conner asked surprised.

"Yeah. My last family reunion had like... 50 or 60 of us." Finnick said. Finnick started smiling a bit. "Now that I think about it, that family reunion was one of the best moments in my life. I remember my family and I have so much fun."

"Remember anything else?" Conner asked.

"Umm... hanging out with my cousins, the food, the loud arguments. Us fennec foxes may be small, but we all have plenty of energy." Finnick said.

"You don't say? Sounds a lot like our family reunions." Cole said happily.

"Guess us bunnies and foxes aren't that different." Conner said with a smile.

"Heh! Guess not." Finnick said with a smirk.

Finnick and the twins were bonding quite well. How about some of the others. Ronnie, Audran, Sharla, and Gareth were all talking to each other.

"So... you two are brother and sister and you also known Judy for a long time?" Ronnie asked.

"Uh huh." Sharla said nodding. "I knew Judy since kindergarten. I also have the same class with her, Bobby, and Kyle."

"I'm a grade lower than Judy and Sharla, but I still hang out with them." Gareth said.

"Cool. Neither I nor Ronnie here is in the same class as Nick, but we've been hanging out with him for a long time now." Audran said.

"Neat." Sharla said.

"Now Sharla, how did you and Gareth met up with Nick? We would really like to know, eh?" Audran asked.

"Oh ho. We have known Nick as long as Judy has." Sharla said smirking. "Nick was like Judy's knight in fox fur when he saved her from Gideon."

"Oh reeeeeally?" Ronnie and Audran said both smirking.

"Yup. Then afterward, those two talked to each other as if they were the only two around." Gareth said smirking. "After the day, Judy would go on and on about how great Nick was."

"Pshh! Hahaha! Is that so?" Ronnie said laughing a bit.

Audran smirked and leaned over to Ronnie's ear and whispered "Future blackmail." to him.

"Anything else you can tell about Judy?" Ronnie asked the sheep siblings.

"You probably already guess this, but Judy is pretty smart and tough." Sharla stated.

"She not the type of person who gives up so easily. Since meeting up with Nick, it pretty much doubled." Gareth said.

"That so, eh? Guess that also rubbed onto Nick." Audran said. "Nick is kinda the same way. I bet it was Judy who inspired him to stay that way."

"Judy does have that effect on others." Sharla said with a smile. "So how did you got to know Nick?"

"We met Nick a little after he scared some sense into some 'certain' members." Ronnie said pointing at Chuck and the other 4 former scouts. "When we heard about him forming his own, we both decided to talk to him about."

"We went out for a bite and asked him if we could join. Been friends with Nick ever since." Audran said.

"I see. Still..." Sharla said glaring at the former scouts behind her. "Are you sure it's okay to trust those guys after what they did?"

"Judy did tell you two about how rough those 5 were having it, right?" Ronnie asked Sharla and Gareth.

"Yeah. She did. She said that they've been blackballed by nearly everyone." Sharla said looking a bit sad.

"Even we don't think they should have it that tough whether they really deserved it or not." Gareth said looking said as well.

"I was almost one of their victims if it wasn't for Audran here." Ronnie said. "Even with me being a scary grizzly bear, this guy had my back."

"To be honest, I was planning on leaving those guys anyway. But I suppose that was all in the past now." Audran said. "I pretty sure those guys won't be pulling the same trick again."

"How can you be so sure?" Gareth asked.

"Nick's mom." Ronnie and Audran said firmly.

"Mrs. Wilde? She seems like a nice lady." Sharla said.

"She is. But when you hurt her son in any way, watch out." Ronnie said in a warning tone.

"We'll... keep that in mind." Sharla said looking a bit scared. "But it's not like we have any problems with Nick. He's a great guy."

"Why do you think we like hanging with him, eh?" Audran said with a smile.

"Now then, think you can tell us more stories about Judy?" Ronnie asked.

"Oh ho! We got plenty more stories." Sharla said with a smile.

So Sharla and Gareth started to tell Audran and Ronnie more about Judy and the past. Audran and Ronnie did the same about Nick. Another group having a conversation was Flash with Ed and Wilfred. The conversation... wasn't really going at a fast tempo. Especially when Flash is doing most of the talking.

"... and... then... there... was... the... time... I... went... to... play... laser... tag. It... seems... that... the... game... was... over... before... it... began." Flash said. "Oh... it... also... reminds... me... of... the... time... I... went... rock... climbing... and..."

Ed and Wilfred were feeling like they were getting close to falling asleep by Flash's slow talking.

"Jeez, why do sloths have to talk so slow?" Ed whispered to Wilfred.

"Remember, we're doing this to be on good terms with everyone." Wilfred whispered back to Ed. "But I got to say, Flash does some pretty cool stuff."

"I know, right?" Ed whispered to Wilfred agreeing.

While Ed and Wilfred were doing okay, Chuck and Phillip weren't having a good impression with Judy's friends, Kyle and Bobby. The two predator felines glared at Chuck and Phillip very angrily. The two prey boys started to feel very awkward.

"Uhhhhh..." Chuck went. "So... we're..."

"Yeah. We know who you are." Kyle said firmly.

"We also know what you did." Bobby said just as firm as Kyle.

"I... guess that's not really news now." Chuck said looking sad.

"What you did to Nick was totally not cool." Bobby stated. "Out of everyone, Nick didn't deserve that."

"We know." Chuck and Phillip said sadly.

"Just because Nick's a fox, doesn't mean he's untrustworthy." Kyle stated.

"We know." Chuck and Phillip said again.

"And the same can be said about other predators too." Bobby stated.

"We know." Chuck and Phillip said once more.

"Look, we know we screwed up. BIG time. We don't need everyone to keep telling us that." Chuck said firmly. "You're right. Nick's a good guy. No, he's a great guy. He's 10 times better than we are. Scratch that. He's 100 times better than the five of us put together." Chuck then put his paws covering his face. "*sigh* Nick would have been the perfect member for the Junior Scouts... and what do we do? We scare him off and put a muzzle on him."

Both Kyle and Bobby started looking less angry and a bit more sincere. The two of them took one look at both Chuck and Phillip and could tell they were actually sorry for what they were done.

"You really regret what you did, do you?" Kyle asked them.

"Of course we do." Phillip said. "Why did you think we came clean to our scoutmaster? Nick helped us change how we should think about things. He even forgave us and he didn't have to. To be honest, I still don't think we deserve being forgiven."

"That so, huh?" Bobby said. "Judy told us how you two and the other three have been blackballed by everyone. Sounds like things are tough."

"Yeah..." Chuck admitted. "Prey kids hate us, predator kids don't trust, parents disappointed in us. We can only imagine how bad Nick must have got it."

"Nick and his family get judged by being foxes all the time and are a perfectly honest family. That's rare for any families these days." Phillip said.

"Some foxes may get a bad rep, but Nick's a good example that foxes can be good and honest." Bobby said with a smile.

"So, you've known Nick for a long while now?" Chuck asked.

"Nope." Kyle and Bobby both said.

"We didn't meet Nick the same day Judy, Sharla, Gareth, and Libby did. But the way Judy talked about him, it felt that we already knew him." Kyle stated.

"So when we finally met Nick at a farmer's market in Bunnyburrow, we were more than happy to be his friends." Bobby stated.

"Guess Nick has that effect on people." Chuck stated. "I mean, have you seen all the people in this room?"

"I know. We're like a big group of weirdos." Bobby stated with an excited look on his face.

"Weirdos?" Kyle, Phillip, and Chuck said not too happy about being called that.

"Have you seen everyone in this room?" Bobby asked. "Trust me, we're weirdos."

While they didn't like to admit it, it was true. Everyone in this room was weird in their own way. Kyle, Chuck, and Phillip then shrugged with what Bobby said. Nothing's wrong with being weird. Better weird than plain normal.

As the hour went on, the kids all continued talking to each other. Sharing stories, telling each other what they wanted to do with their lives, and ultimately grown a little closer. Nick and Judy stood by the stairs and had another one of their heart-to-heart talks.

"Seems like everything is going well." Judy said to Nick with a smile.

"Yeah. I would never have imagined that the Zoo-Burrow Scouts would be such a success." Nick said happily.

"You put a lot of work into this group. That's how it became a success." Judy said to Nick.

"That's a bit of the reason. But another bit of the reason is that I had you by my side." Nick said to Judy.

"Come on. I didn't do anything." Judy said as she lightly grabbed her left arm.

"Oh yes, you did. You believed in me even when everyone else didn't. You help me stay the way I am." Nick said sincerely.

"You're my friend, Nick. I'll **always** trust you." Judy said sincerely.

"Same for me, Carrots." Nick said with a smile. Nick then moved a little close to Judy. "Say, Judy? You have always been there for me. I can't thank you enough. So..." Nick started to blush a bit. "... if you ever need help for anything, anything at all, you let me know. I'll be right there for you."

"Ha. We're doing it again. Saying things the other wants to say." Judy said blushing as well. "Guess that shows how good friends we are."

"Yeah." Nick said with a wide smile. He then put his attention on the others. "Well, seems like everyone pretty much knows each other now. Think it's time to end the meeting."

"Right." Judy said nodding.

Nick and Judy move from the stairs to the front of everyone else.

"ATTENTION, EVERYONE!" Nick shouted out. It got everyone's attention and they turned to Nick and Judy. "I hope you all enjoyed today's meeting. Did you all got to talk a lot?"

"Heh heh! Sure did." Finnick said smirking and chuckling.

He wasn't the only one. The others were chuckling as well.

"Why... is everyone laughing about?" Judy asked looking curious.

"Noooothing." Everyone else went.

The way everyone said it like that, something was definitely up. Nick and Judy both knew that and both had unamused looks on their faces.

"Come on. Someone out with it." Nick said crossing his arms.

"Wellllllll..." Gazelle said speaking for everyone. "While we all got to talking and an interesting subject came up at almost every one of them."

"Interesting subject? What is it?" Nick asked.

"The subject of you two." Gazelle said with a smirk.

"Us?!" Nick and Judy said sounding surprised.

"Wait? Is this about the whole **'boyfriend/girlfriend, no space in the middle'** thing?" Nick asked looking mad.

"Look. We already told all of you that we're just friends." Judy said firmly.

"We know. We know. We get that you're not a couple." Sharla said.

"Thank you." Nick and Judy said happily about that.

"It's more of... **when** are you gonna be a couple."

"Ahh..." Nick and Judy said as they both got frozen stiff with blushing cheeks. "WHEN?!"

"Yeah. When." Benji said. "It's clear to **everyone in this room** that there is something unspoken between the two of you."

"No there isn't." Nick and Judy said frantically.

"Really?" Sharla said slyly. "So you two weren't just having another one of your 'moments'?"

"Nooooo..." Nick and Judy said as they both slowly take a slide step away from the other.

"See? You two have something whether you want to admit it or not." Benji stated.

"You... you're overthinking things." Nick said trying to cover his face with his face with his paw. "Stop that!"

"Alright then. Answer a few questions for us and then we will stop." Finnick said as he crossed his arms.

Knowing all their friends, Nick and Judy could guess that they aren't gonna make it easy for them with whatever questions they had. But they were both willing to do it.

"If that will make you guys stop, then fine." Judy said.

"Okay. First question, how often do you two hug?" Libby asked.

Nick and Judy had hugged each other quite a few times. But the two didn't want the others to know that.

"Pass!" Nick and Judy answered.

"So... a lot." Libby said.

"Next question, how often do you two hold each other's paws?" Falisha asked.

Nick and Judy had held each other's paws several times. But once again, they didn't want the others to know that.

"Pass!" Nick and Judy answered again.

"Sounds like a lot." Falisha said.

"Last one, hehe. This one will be a good one." Gideon said slyly.

"I don't trust that look." Nick thought.

"Has there... ever been a moment when... a 'kiss' was involved?" Gideon asked slyly.

Nick and Judy were silent for a few seconds. Nick had a pretty peeved look on his face as he glared at Gideon. Nick already told Gideon about the time Judy kissed him. Nick told him to keep it a secret, but now he's pretty much making him want to spill the beans in front of everyone in the room.

"Gideon, I'm gonna kill you." Nick angrily thought.

"Wellll..." Gideon asked the two slyly.

"No! Of course not!" Nick and Judy shouted out. They both thought it was best to lie about the kiss from long before.

"There was no 'kiss' involved." Judy said very red-faced.

"Took your time to answer, did ya?" Gideon asked still with that sly look on his face.

"Grrrr..." Nick growled. He didn't feel too happy about Gideon's little question. But thought of a good way to get back at him. Nick started to have his usual sly grin on. "Alright Gid, if you're gonna be like that..." Nick then shouted out. "HEY EVERYONE, DO YOU ALL WANNA KNOW A SECRET ABOUT GIDEON?"

Gideon smile went away and he quickly reacted by going over to Nick.

"GIDEON LIKES..." Nick shouted out. But before he could finish, Gideon covered his muzzle with his paw.

"Gideon likes what?" Sharla asked.

"Oh ho! Now things really are getting good." Finnick said smiling.

Gideon then whispered in Nick's ear. "Okay. You win. Now keep your muzzle shut about 'you-know-what'."

Like Gideon knowing about the kiss, Nick knows Gideon having a crush on Sharla. The last thing Gideon wants is Nick to spill the beans in front of everyone. INCLUDING Sharla. So Gideon gave in on the pressing him about the question, not what Nick to say his little secret. Gideon then lets go of Nick's muzzle. Nick still had his sly grin.

"... TO BAKE!" Nick shouted out.

"NICK!" Gideon shouted out.

While that wasn't the secret Gideon thought Nick was gonna say, he still kept his baking a secret from everyone else. He was still a bit shy to admit that.

"Woah woah. Wait?" Sharla said. "Sooooo... those apology cookies weren't from your mom, but you?"

"... Yeah." Gideon admitted.

"Those cookies were REALLY good." Sharla said happily.

"I was upset when they were all gone." Gareth said.

"So you know how to make pies, cakes, cookies, and other sweet stuff and you never told us?" Benji asked.

"Yeah?" Gideon said.

Benji then walked over to Gideon.

"Can you make donuts?" Benji asked.

"With the right stuff, of course." Gideon said.

"You need to make some next time." Benji pleaded.

"I agree." Ronnie said.

"Can you make a cherry pie?" Mervin asked.

"How about carrot cake?" Libby asked.

Seems like everyone loved the fact that Gideon knew how to bake. Guess Gideon worrying about that was for nothing. Nick and Judy seem relieved since it seems that the subject of 'them' was over. Or so they thought.

"Wait? We're losing focus." Finnick stated to everyone else. "Nicky and Jude are our main focus."

"Crud." Nick and Judy thought.

"Guys, we already told you everything and as of now, we are not a couple." Nick said.

"Not yet. But you two are pretty much one step away from that. You're better off just kissing now just to get it over with." Finnick said.

What Finnick said was pretty straightforward. Judy didn't really react. Neither did Nick. The two just looked at each other for a second. Then Judy spoke out.

"Okay." Judy said.

"Okay, what?" Finnick asked.

"Okay, we'll kiss." Judy said.

When Judy said that, everyone else Nick nearly jumped.

"WHAAAATTT?!" Everyone else shouted out shocked.

"Well, what do you say Nick?" Judy asked Nick.

"Ehhh. Sure. Why not?" Nick said shrugging.

"WHAAAATTT?!" Everyone else shouted out shocked again.

"Finn's right. We might as well get it over with." Judy said.

"Besides, you guys are just gonna keep hounding us, right?" Nick said.

"We... we were just pulling you guys' chain." Finnick said frantically.

"Are you guys serious about to kiss?" Benji asked still looking shocked.

"Yeah. Might as well do it now. Unless you guys have a problem?" Judy asked with a smirk.

"Our sister, a bunny, kissing a fox, who we consider like a brother?" Conner stated.

"Sorry. We can NOT be in this room." Cole said.

Cole and Conner then made their way to the stairs and started walking up to leave the basement while chanting, "If we don't see or hear it, we don't know. If we don't see or hear it, we don't know." The door then smashed as they left.

"Anyone else wanna leave?" Judy asked the others.

"Oh my goodness. They're serious." Benji said looking a bit overjoyed.

"Guess we're doing this." Nick said to Judy. "By the way, I have never kissed anyone. So this will be my first kiss."

"Same for me." Judy said. "My first kiss is gonna be with a fox. Didn't see that coming. So how do we do this?"

"Well, first I think we should face each other than hold both of each other's paws." Nick said to Judy.

Nick and Judy both did that. They faced each other and then held each of their paws with one another.

"Okay. What's next?" Judy asked Nick.

"Then... I guess you close your eyes, I lean my head to yours, and... we make it happen." Nick said.

"I think they're really doing this. As their friends, should we even be watching?" Mervin whispered.

"I don't know. I don't know." Sharla whispered.

"We do need to know whether they kiss or not." Falisha stated.

"So... ready?" Judy asked looking up at Nick.

"As I will ever be." Nick said.

So... Judy close her eyes and Nick slowly lean down to Judy's face. Looks like they were serious about kissing. Most of the others felt... unsure about this. A few of them covered their eyes, a few looked away, but most of them watched just for the proof of whether they would kiss or not. As Nick and Judy were like millimeters away from kissing each other, the two of them then stopped. At that moment, they both started to chuckle. The chuckling then turned into laughter. This confused everyone. Nick and Judy then turned to everyone else.

"Gotcha!" Nick and Judy said.

"HUH?!" Everyone else said a bit confused.

"Come on. As if we would actually kiss in front of you guys." Nick said to everyone while smirking.

"So... you were just messing with all of us?" Benji asked.

"How does this sound?" Nick asked everyone. He then held onto Judy and then dipped her down. "Oh my dear Judy, how you make my heart swell."

As Nick dips her, Judy then poses overly dramatically. "Oh Nick, how you feel me with joy."

"Yep. They're totally messing with us." Mervin said with a straight face.

"Glad you finally figured it out." Nick said as he stopped with the acting and helping Judy back up.

"Nick and I are just friends and even if we were a couple, we sure as heck wouldn't kiss in front of all of you." Judy stated. "So... deal with it."

Most of the kids felt disappointed that Nick and Judy didn't kiss. Others were just a bit annoyed. If Nick and Judy ever were gonna kick, it wasn't gonna be today.

"On that side note, meeting over. Everybody out." Nick said pointing at the door.

"WHAAAA..." Everyone else went.

"Hold on. We still have a few hours before the train to Bunnyburrow comes for some of us." Travis stated.

"You don't have to wait for your train, but y'all can't stay here." Nick said to them.

"Fiiiine. If you're gonna be like that." Finnick said looking peeved.

Everybody except Judy and Nick made their way out the room, making some displeased grunts as the leave. Soon, Nick and Judy were the only one left in the room.

"Heh! Plan worked like a charm." Judy said to Nick with a smirk.

"I'm surprised. Seems like you improved even more on your acting." Nick said smiling. "Can you actually believe that they thought we would kiss?"

"Yeah. Totally fooled them." Judy said before giggling.

"That should make them ease up on the teasing." Nick stated.

"Alright. We're out of punch. I'm gonna get some juice from upstairs." Judy said while patting Nick on the back.

"Kay. I'm gonna clean up here." Nick said.

Judy walks up the stairs as Nick started cleaning up the room for his dad. As Judy closes the door, she stops at the front of it. Nick stops cleaning as soon as Judy left the room. Both Nick and Judy then both started trembling and fell to their knees. They were also both blushing pretty madly.

"Oh my god. I can't believe I **almost** did that." Nick and Judy both thought as they covered their bunny and fox muzzles.

Guess that almost kiss really was an almost kiss. Whether they were acting or not, their feelings are most definitely real.

 **Well... that happened. Seems like Nick and Judy's feelings for each other are growing deeper. Guess that's the end of this chapter. More to come next time. Like a camping trip. Til then.**


	30. Chapter 28: The Fishing Trip

**Y'all ready for Chapter 28. Camping Trip time. Also, it's been one whole year since I started this story. Man, I can't believe it's been over a year. Again, still surprised how popular this story is. Originally, I planned to do a camping trip chapter a long time ago. But I also wanted to do a fishing trip chapter. So... why not take both ideas and put it into one chapter? For this chapter, John takes his son, Nick as well as some of the others to a fishing and camping trip. I actually got the idea from Final Fantasy XV and some of the fishing parts. Quite a bit of Father-Son bonding moments as well. There will also be some focus parts on Ronnie. This will be another fun chapter. Let's begin.**

 **Also, special thanks to Thunder Emperor Dragon - Batzz from helping me with the proofreading of my chapters. We're doing what we can to make this story nearly perfect.**

* * *

Somewhere in a forest camping spot in Zootopia at the break of dawn, were four tents and a very nice campsite set up. Inside 3 of the tents were sleepy kits. But outside the tents, starting up a campfire, was Nick's dad, John. He was wearing a red and black flannel shirt over a tan fisherman's vest and tan pants. He was also wearing a fisher's hat on his head. He stood up and then started banging on some cast iron pans.

"KIDS! TIME TO RISE AND SHINE FOR BREAKIE!" John shouted out.

All John could hear were the unhappy groans of children. Out from the blue tent came out Nick, still in his sleep clothes.

"Pooooop, why so early?" Nick asked whining a bit as he wipes the sand from his eyes.

"You have to wake up early if you want to catch the big ones." John stated looking jolly.

Out from Nick's tent came out Benji and Finnick, also in their sleep clothes and looking as drowsy as Nick.

"Maybe it's because they're still asleep." Finnick said sounding grouchy.

"*yawn* I'm only up because I heard something about breakie." Benji said as he wipes his eyes a bit.

Coming out from the black tent were Mervin and Ronnie. Mervin still looked half asleep as well. Ronnie looked more okay than him though.

"Ugghhhh... It's early mornings like this that make me wish I was a nightwalker." Mervin stated.

"Come on. It's not that bad." Ronnie said as he windmills with his left arm.

"Please. You're **bear-ly** up yourself." Mervin said making a joke. Then he started laughing at his own joke. "Hahaha! See? I'm funny too."

"You and Nick's sense of humor..." Ronnie said as he shook his head.

From the white tent came out Judy and Falisha. Both of them were stretching a bit.

"I was hoping to get another hour or so of sleep." Falisha said stretching her arms out.

Judy walked over to the boys.

"Morning." Judy said in a cheery matter.

"Morning." The boys said in a lesser cheerful matter.

"Now that you're all up, time for breakfast." John said.

"Ugghhh... can it wait for another one or so?" Nick asked.

"Oh? Is that what you want? Well if that's how you feel, then I guess we gonna have to let these pancakes with **blueberry** compote go to waste." John said with a smirk.

John knew that the second that he mentioned **blueberry** , it would get his son's attention. It worked too.

"Well... we're already up. Might as well eat some pancakes. Some sweet, sweet pancakes." Nick said giving in to his blueberry cravings.

"With blueberry compote." Judy said smirking at Nick.

"Yes. With blueberry compote." Nick said. "It's not my fault that blueberries are my only weakness."

"It's my fault, actually. You get your love of blueberries from me." John stated.

So John and the kit all had breakfast by the fire. The pancakes that John made with his skillet and some fruit besides blueberries to go with it. After breakfast, the kids change their clothes and went on a hike with John. Nick wore a blue and white flannel shirt with a white shirt and blue jeans. Judy wore a white shirt with a pick jacket vest and a blue skirt. Benji wore a red shirt with a green cap and tan shorts. Finnick was wearing a black shirt with some baggy blue jeans. Mervin was wearing a dark blue button shirt over a black shirt and white pants. Falisha had on an orange and white striped shirt with blue shorts. Then lastly, Ronnie was wearing a dark red shirt with a tan fisherman vest and white pants. Each of the kids had fishing poles in their paws. John had a fishing pole with him as well.

Today, John wasn't just taking the kids on a camping trip. He was also taking them on a fishing trip. John has always wanted the opportunity to go fishing with his son. So to do so with a few of his friends was something John didn't want to miss out. Not all of Nick and Judy's friends came, but the ones that jumped at the chance of going camping did come.

"Pop, how much longer do we have to walk until we're there?" Nick asked.

"Just a bit longer, Nicky." John told Nick. "The lake we are going to is an excellent spot for fishing. Mammals fish there all the time. Which is why we are heading there bright and early."

"Don't like the 'early' part, but I can't wait to fish." Nick said looking excited.

"I'm excited too." Benji said looking as excited as Nick.

"You know pop, you leading us and taking us on a camping trip, it's like you're a scoutmaster." Nick stated.

"Really? You think so?" John said pondering it a bit. "You know, not a bad similarity."

"I've never fished before. So this will be my first time." Judy said as she holds her fishing pole in front of her.

"You sure you're alright with this, Carrots?" Nick asked Judy.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked.

The group then stops walking.

"Well, we ARE going fishing. Not just to catch fish, but to eat them as well." Nick stated as he goes in front of Judy. "To top it off, you're the only prey mammal here." Nick then leaned over to Judy with a smirk. "So, can you handle the sight of predators eating meat, bunny?"

Now the only meat predators usually eat are fish and some types of birds. Most prey mammals still aren't fond of predators eating any type of meat at all. Judy didn't seem scared of what Nick said. She just smirked at him and booped his nose.

"Hey!" Nick said covering his nose. Nick didn't really like getting his snooze booped.

"Nice try, Slick. But I've been doing some reading on fishing. I found out that even some prey mammals eat fish. Some even eat what they catch." Judy stated. "So, I'm just doing what we all came to do."

"You're... surprisingly calm about this." Falisha said to Judy.

"That's good. One needs a calm mind to catch fish." Ronnie said.

"That's right. If you stress out, you may scare off the fish." John said.

"Okay. Calm mind. Got it." Nick said.

"Sounds like you know a thing or two about fishing, Ronnie." Mervin said.

"I go fishing with my dad all the time." Ronnie said proudly. "I also love to eat fish."

"I can totally see fish being your favorite food. Well... that and honey." Nick said.

"What? Because I'm a bear, you think my favorite food is either fish or honey?" Ronnie asked sounding offended.

"Well, my third guess was gonna be _pic-a-nic baskets_. Ah-voo-voo-voo-voo!" Nick said in a matter similar to a certain cartoon bear.

Everyone else couldn't help but laugh a bit. It was one of the times Nick was actually funny. Ronnie thought it was funny too, but still lightly bumped Nick on his sides.

"Alright. Let's keep going. We're almost there." John said to the kids.

The kids all nodded and continued walking. After a few minutes, they finally made it to the lake. The lake was quite a huge one, looks like it stretched about half a mile. It was definitely a perfect fishing spot.

"We're here!" John happily shouted out.

"Woooah!" Nick, Judy, and the other kids went.

"Amazing, right?" John asked the kids. "This is the Lake Pondzoo. The best fishing spot in Zootopia. Best part, no one's here. So that makes the fishing easy."

Or at least that's what John thought. True is... there was someone that already beat them to the punch. From the side of the lake was an adult grizzly bear male. Wearing a red and black flannel shirt with denim jeans. As well as a tan vest and red cap. The bear was focused on his fishing as he was holding his pole, waiting for fish to bite on his lure. Looking at this bear, a few of the kids felt that he was familiar.

"Umm... pop? Someone else is already here." Nick said.

"Wait a sec. Isn't that your dad, Ronnie?" Mervin asked Ronnie.

Ronnie took a closer look at the bear. "That is my dad." Ronnie said. "Oh that's right. Papa likes to go fishing at this spot every once in a while."

"Come on. Let's say hi." Nick said.

The group walks over to the bear as he focuses on his fishing.

"Breath in, breath out. Wait for the fish to bite, then reel it in." Ronnie's dad though.

"Papa!" Ronnie from behind the bear shouted out.

"Huh?" Ronnie's dad said turning around to see his son and his friends. "Oh! Hey there, son. And your friends are with you. That's right. You said you were going camping."

"Didn't know this was your fishing spot." Ronnie said to his dad.

"I have a lot of fishing spots in this city, son. This just happens to be my favorite spot." Ronnie's dad said with a smile. Ronnie's dad then looked at all the other kids and John. He's attention really seem to peak on John. "Well well. Johnathan 'Wide Smile' Wilde."

"Ronald 'Papa Bear' Behr Jr. I expected Nick's friend had to be your son." John said to the bear.

The kids all looked at John, then at Ronnie's dad. Then John again. Then Ronnie's dad. Judging by both father's demeanors, they both must know each other.

"Wait. Pop, do you actually know Ronnie's dad?" Nick asked.

"I guess you can say that." John admitted. "I should have known your friend was his son."

"Same for me when Lil Ronnie told me that he was friends with a fox with the last name Wilde." Ronald said.

"Woah woah. Wait? Mr. Behr's name is... also Ronald?" Benji asked.

"Yeah. My full name is Ronald Fernand Behr III. My dad has the same name as me as well as my grandpa." Ronnie said.

"How are we just finding out about this now?" Judy asked.

"So... we should be calling you Ronnie Jr... Jr?" Nick asked Ronnie.

"Just stick with calling me Ronnie." Ronnie said firmly.

"You sure? Cause your pa's name is Ronnie and your name is Ronnie too." Nick stated.

"No. I'm three." Ronnie stated.

"No. I meant 'too' not 'two'." Nick said.

"Wait. He's two? I thought he was three." Finnick said.

"I thought he was 10." Benji said looking confused.

"I **am** 10 and I'm also 3." Ronnie said looking irritated.

"Your 10 and 3? How is that the case?" Benji asked.

"STOP!" Judy shouted out to everyone. "We all know what we're doing, so let's just cut things here. Ronnie is Ronald Behr III while his dad is Ronald Behr II. So we should still call Ronnie 'Ronnie' while we should call his dad 'Big Ronnie' or Mr. Behr."

"Thank you, Judy." Ronnie said looking relieved.

"Pssshh! Hahahaha!" Mervin laughed.

"What are you laughing about?" Judy asked Mervin.

"That whole situation. Ha! You got to admit, it's a little funny." Mervin said grinning. Judy just shook her head. Guess only a few, like Nick, get his sense of humor.

"Ahem." Mr. Behr said clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. All eyes were on him now. "Now, judging by the poles on your paws, I assume that you all wanted to go fishing as well?"

"You guessed it, Mr. Behr." Nick said to him.

"I see. Well, then you picked one of the best spots to fish at." Mr. Behr said.

"Papa knows all about fishing. He even runs his own bait and tackle shop in Tundratown." Ronnie stated. "You can buy the best fishing poles, lines, lures, and anything else for your fishing needs."

"Hmm. Impressive." John said with a smile.

"Well... we all do what we like. Eh, Mr. Tailor?" Mr. Behr said smirking at John.

"So you heard. Haha. Guess I'm not surprised these days." John said. "So, caught anything good?"

"Just the usual small fry." Mr. Behr answered. "What I'm going for is the real big fry. Mammals call it T _he Leviathan of the Lake_."

"The... _Leviathan of the Lake_?" Nick said a bit interested.

"The biggest fish in Lake Pondzoo. It's a crazy monster too." Mr. Behr stated. "I tried to bag him years ago, but the bugger was too strong. Even took my best lure."

"You still trying to catch him, Papa Bear?" Ronnie asked.

"It will be my greatest catch yet." Mr. Behr said holding his pole up high and boldly.

Mr. Behr seems to be really determined to catch this _Leviathan of the Lake_. It must have been a pretty big fish too. John looked down and noticed that besides Mr. Behr was a red tackle box.

"Hmmm. I'm assuming that in that tackle box is yours are your lines and lures." John said.

"What are you getting at, John?" Mr. Behr asked while putting his pole down and crossing his arms.

"Would you be kind enough to have the kids and I use a few of your fishing things?" John asked politely. "We all DID came here to fish and your boy did say you have the best."

"Annnd you think I would do this because..." Mr. Behr asked raising his eyebrow.

"Cause I know that you're a nice guy... and..." John started to smirk. "... I'm pretty sure your wife's not totally okay with you spending your free time 'working'." John said with air quotes on working.

"There it is. That signature John Wilde sneakiness." Mr. Behr said with a smirk and waving one of his paws. "Very well. I don't mind giving my boy and the kids some of my fishing lines and lures. Besides, I can't let you keep thinking you're the _world's greatest dad_."

" _World's greatest dad?_ Moi?" John said in a sly matter. "I may have a mug and shirt that say that, but I don't think I'm the world's greatest dad. Top 10, maybe."

"All bragging aside..." Mr. Behr said while opening up his tackle box.

The box opened up with many compartments holding different lures and some spools of fishing lines. The kids were all impressed by these.

"Wooooah!" The kids said in awe.

"Impressive, right?" Mr. Behr said smiling. "First, let's switch those lines with some real high-quality ones?"

Everyone took out the fishing lines they had from their poles and switch it to the lines that Mr. Behr had. The lines were differently stronger than their previous ones. They were all able to properly set them up.

"Alright. Now it's time for you choose a lure." Mr. Behr said.

"A lure?" Judy asked looking a bit confused. She didn't really know anything about fishing.

"A lure is what we put at the end of our fishing line to attract fish." Ronnie said.

"Correct, my boy." Mr. Behr said. "You can't always expect a fish to bite with just a hook and some bait. Certain lures can attract certain fishes. So go on and pick the one you like. Careful not to touch the hook part."

Mr. Behr had quite a lot of lures. Most of them were of cute versions of little mammals. It was hard for them to choose which one they liked. But after a while, they each picked one. Nick had his eye on a lure that was silver colored and a fox.

"This one looks good... and my style." Nick said liking the lure. He picks that one and puts it at the end of his line.

"Excellent. Now you're ready to catch some fish." Mr. Behr said happily.

Everyone, including John and Mr. Behr, all got by the side of the lake and threw their lures into the water.

"So what do we do now?" Judy asked.

"Now... we all have to wait for a bite." John said to Judy.

"Okay." Judy said holding her pole firmly.

Everyone just stood holding their poles and waiting for a bite. They all waited for a few minutes to get something. So far, nothing. A few of the kids like Nick and Finnick were starting to get bored.

"Ugh! How long does it take to get a bite?" Finnick asked getting bored.

"Be patient, Finnick. It's all part of the fishing process." John said.

On Nick's line, it seems that he caught something.

"Hey! I think I got a bite." Nick said sounding excited.

"Great, Slick! Now reel it in." John said to his son.

"Okay, pop." Nick said.

Nick reeled up his pole to see what he caught. He pulled out what he had from the water and with his luck, he only caught an old broken and rusted tea kettle.

"Uhhh..." Nick said a bit confused.

"Looks like you caught a tea kettle. Short and stout." John said to Nick.

"Cept it has a broken handle and a really messed-up spout." Nick stated.

"Ha!" Mervin laughed.

"*sigh* Here I was hoping to catch a fish." Nick said disappointedly.

"Don't worry, my boy." John said patting Nick's head. "We're still just getting started."

"He's right." Mr. Behr said. "In my years of fishing, the best catches aren't determined by the first ones."

"Sounds like you are quite the pro when it comes to fishing, Mr. Behr." Judy said.

"Little lady, I caught fish bigger than most of you put together." Mr. Behr stated boldly.

"Hmmm. That so?" John asked. He then started sniffing a bit. "Do I smell something? That scent. I think I smell a **challenge**."

"Where are you getting at, Wilde?" Mr. Behr asked him he raised his eyebrow.

"Which of the two of us can reel in the biggest catch? I wonder." John said with a smirk.

"Oh ho! So you want to see which of us can catch the biggest fish." Mr. Behr said smirking as well.

"I ain't talking about our wives." John stated.

Seems that both John and Mr. Behr wanted to have a fatherly fishing competition. That was obvious by the glares that they were both giving each other. Nick and Ronnie could definitely notice heated rivalry between their dads.

"Alright, Wilde Smile. You're on." Mr. Behr said accepting John's challenge. He then took his lure out of the water and held his pole on his back. "The two of us should head to a different spot. I happen to know the perfect spot for getting the big catches. I even got a boat so we can go farther out on the water."

"Sounds great." John said happily. "But uhh... what about the kids?"

Mr. Behr then looked at Ronnie. "Ronnie, will you and your friends be okay by yourselves for a while?"

"Of course, papa. We'll be fine." Ronnie said to his dad.

"Alright then." Mr. Behr said with a smile. "Let's go, Wilde Smile."

"Lead the way, Papa Bear." John said to Mr. Behr as they went on their way..

"Catch a big one, pop." Nick shouted out to his dad.

So with the dad's gone, the kids were by themselves and had to fish on their own. It didn't seem to discourage them.

"Alright! Let's get back to fishing." Nick said to everyone else boldly.

"Yeah." Everyone else said pumping their paws.

Another few minutes in, they still didn't really get any bites. While they were still waiting for a catch, Nick wanted to ask Ronnie something.

"Say, Ronnie, can you tell us more about what was your dad talking about? The fish he said was called _The Leviathan of the Lake_." Nick said sounding curious.

"I was interested in that too." Judy admitted.

"Me too." Benji said.

"Oh. That. Papa bear has told me about the story so many time." Ronnie said. "Apparently, in this very lake, there is this HUGE fish. They call the fish _Leviathan_. Papa said a leviathan is considered this scary sea monster. Hints the name of the fish."

"Is it really that scary?" Mervin asked.

"I've never seen it. It's supposed to be dark blue with a crazy looking lips and red stripes around both its sides. He also said that it was bigger than I am." Ronnie stated.

"Bigger than you AND Ben? Must be some fish." Finnick said.

"And your dad tried to catch him once?" Falisha asked.

"Yeah. He said it was about 3 years ago. He tried pulling it up, but never stood a chance of bagging him." Ronnie said. "Papa has been trying to catch him ever since but no luck."

"So no one else has even caught it?" Judy asked.

"Uh uh." Ronnie said as he shook his head no. "To my knowledge, the fish is still out in these water. I will say this. Whoever's good enough to catch him, they could consider themselves a legend."

"Legend, huh?" Nick said to himself.

For some reason, Nick liked the idea of being called a legend. He also wanted to catch some big like the Leviathan of the Lake. Nick started to have a big grin on his face. Ronnie was the one to notice.

"Uhhh... guys? Nick has 'that look' again." Ronnie said looking worried.

"Oh no..." Judy, Benji, Finnick, Mervin, and Falisha went.

"I'm gonna reel in that monster." Nick said with a big confident grin on his face.

"Oh boy..." Judy said as if she knew Nick was gonna say that.

"I'm gonna catch that Leviathan of the Lake and become a legend." Nick said determinedly. "

"Nick, if what Ronnie says is true, that fish and bigger than you are. How are you supposed to catch something like that?" Judy asked.

"Don't underestimate me. I'm more than ready." Nick said firmly. He then notices that he was getting a bite. "Look! I bet I caught it just now."

Nick quickly reel in what he was able to catch. The plus side, it was a fish. The downside, it was just a tiny minnow. Nick was a looking a bit mad that his catch was so... tiny. The others laughed a bit.

"Wow. *snicker* He's a biggie." Finnick said humorously and sarcastically.

"Yeah. *snicker* Good catch, man." Mervin said sarcastically as well.

"Dah! It was only a practice catch." Nick said looking a bit mad. He then throw his lure back into the water. "The next one will be a big one. Just you wait."

"Sure it will, Nicky." Judy said slyly.

Nick responded by puffing his cheeks out, similar to Judy when she gets mad. Nick paid no mind to his friends' comments.

"Actually, catching the Leviathan of the Lake doesn't sound like a bad idea. Let's do it." Ronnie said sounding determined.

"Yeah!" Nick said pumping his fist.

As Nick waited for the next bite, he wanted to ask Ronnie another thing.

"Say, Ron, was... it just me or was there some... tension between our dads?" Nick asked.

"You noticed it too?" Ronnie asked. "Yeah... I think they knew each other before we did. But I don't know if they were friends."

"They seem to be getting along fine. But you could be right. Maybe they weren't friends." Nick said.

What was the deal with John and Big Ronald? The kids didn't really know. Just that at one point, they knew each other. How did they know each other? During the time the kids were still fishing, John and Mr. Behr were on a boat in the middle of the lake. They both already had their lures in the water and were completely silent for a while. Mr. Behr then spoke out to John.

"Are we both just gonna be silent with each other the whole time?" Mr. Behr asked breaking the silence.

"I don't know. Should we?" John asked in a bit of a serious and sarcastic tone.

"So... you're still mad?" Mr. Behr asked John.

"Am I still mad? No, I'm not. But am I still a little peeved? Yes, I am." John answered.

"John, it's been nearly 5 years." Mr. Behr said.

"We were supposed to have each other back." John said firmly to him. "Instead, you just stabbed me in mine."

"John, you know that wasn't the case. You know how those guys at City Hall are." Mr. Behr said.

Well, there you have it. It seems that both John and Mr. Behr worked for City Hall once upon a time. But it seems that the two dads had a falling out.

"Oh, I know all too well. They do everything they can to keep us foxes down." John said sounding really ticked "Just like everyone else."

"Don't play the 'fox' card with me. Us bears had it just as bad as you did." Mr. Behr said firmly.

"Oh yes. They always worry about foxes 'scheming' or getting 'mauled' by bears." John said sarcastically and using air quotes. John then turned around and focused on his fishing. "*sigh* We were supposed to help each other. You know. Two predators looking out for one another."

Mr. Behr gripped his pole tight and then eased up a bit.

"You're right." Mr. Behr said to John. "I should have helped you with your ideas for improving the city. Instead, I kept my muzzle shut so I could keep my job and still support my family."

"I had a family to support too." John stated.

"I know. But it didn't stop you from quitting that job and reaching for something else on your own." Mr. Behr said. "It inspired me to do the same."

"That so?" John asked.

"Yeah. I quit only a month after you did. Well... not before hitting one of the superiors with a bear claw." Mr. Behr said.

"You hit him with a doughnut?" John asked.

"No. I hit him with an 'actual' bear claw." Mr. Behr said with a smirk while raising his paw up. "Think he even lost a tooth."

"Hahahaha! Really?" John said laughing a bit.

"Sure did. It felt just as good as you did it when you pour coffee down his pants." Mr. Behr said happily.

"Hoho! I bet he'll think twice about treating his employees better." John said looking happily.

"Yeah." Mr. Behr said nodding. "After that, I went to that bait-and-tackle shop in Tundratown. I found out the owner was retiring and selling his store. I always loved fishing, so without beating around the bush, I bought the store. Now I do what I love."

"Heh. Kinda like me." John said with a smile.

"Yes. Doing thing our way without anyone holding us back." Mr. Behr said happily.

"Couldn't agree more." John said still smiling.

Seems like John and Mr. Behr got over whatever happens with them in the past. Still, Mr. Behr wanted to tell John one more thing.

"Oh. And John..." Mr. Behr said.

"Yeah, Ron?" John asked.

"That boy of yours, he's a lot like you. I'm... grateful for him being friends with my boy." Mr. Behr said sincerely

"Thanks." John said sincerely as well. "Same goes for me."

After saying that, both father awkward. Most men don't like to talk about their feelings to other men.

"Hooo! Okay! That enough about feelings." John said wanting to change the subject.

"Ye... yeah! We didn't come to talk about feelings. We came to do one thing." Mr. Behr said.

"Fish!" John and Mr. Behr said at the same time.

"Still gonna catch a bigger fish than you." Mr. Behr said with a smirk.

"Talk is cheap. Actions are worth more." John said with a sly smile.

"Hmpt! Alright then." Mr. Behr said still confident.

As the two dads focus on their fishing, let's get back to Nick, Judy, and the others. After a couple of minutes of fishing, the kids were actually able to catch quite a few fish. Some trouts and a few salmons. Everyone was pretty happy with their catches. Everyone... except for Nick. Nick hasn't really caught anything you could brag about. Besides the broken tea kettle and tiny minnow, he caught an old toy car, a torn mini raft, a rusted bucket, and an old boot. Nick was pretty mad and frailing his pole around.

"RAAAHHHH! WHY CAN'T I CATCH ANYTHING GOOD?!" Nick shouted out in anger. "They're mocking me, aren't they? With there stupid fish faces."

"Calm down, Slick." Judy said to Nick.

"I AM CALM!" Nick shouted out. Clearly, he was not calm.

"Nick sounds really upset." Benji said looking concern.

"Can't blame him. You would be upset too if all you caught was some junk." Finnick stated.

"WHO THE HECK EVEN **WEARS** BOOTS?! 99% of us are barefooted anyway." Nick said still shouting. He then throws his lure back into the water really fall. "Come on. Give me something good." He muttered.

Judy was really starting to worry about Nick. She whispered to the others.

"Guys, I worried about how Nick would feel if he doesn't catch something worth catching soon." Judy whispered to the others.

"Not just him. Look at Ronnie." Falisha said.

Ronnie wasn't doing so well either. He still caught some fish. But he was only catching tiny minnows. He looked mad and wanted to catch more than just small catches.

"Come on! Where are you hiding, Leviathan?" Ronnie muttered.

Looks like Ronnie wanted to catch the Leviathan of the Lake as much as Nick does. His frustration was clear. Even Nick started to notice as well as he started to calm down. He took his lure in the water and walked over to Ronnie and stood by him.

"You okay, buddy?" Nick asked Ronnie.

"No. All I have been catching are teeny-tiny minnows." Ronnie stated.

"Least you're catching 'actual' fish." Nick said.

"I'm a son of a fishing pro. I should catch better than that." Ronnie stated. "I want papa to be proud of me and catch a fish worth catching."

"I know. I want to do the same for pop." Nick said understanding what Ronnie means.

"We... both have big shadows to follow, don't we?" Ronnie asked referring to their dads.

"Huge!" Nick said agreeing. "It's hard to live up to dads like them. You want to do your best to impress them so you don't let them down."

"Exactly." Ronnie said nodding. "Glad you get it." Ronnie then pulled his lure back it since it seem that he wasn't catching anything. "Maybe I need to cast my lure a bit further."

Nick knew that he was good friends with Ronnie. But the tension with there dads made him feel uneasy about it.

"Say... Ronnie, are we really friends?" Nick asked looking concern.

"You're asking this after us being friends for months now? Of course, we are." Ronnie said.

"Sorry. Just want to make sure you're not being from on a whim or something." Nick told him.

"A whim?" Ronnie said. He then smirks and lightly pat Nick on the back. "Come on, Slick Nick. We're buds. I'm your friend cause I want to be. Both me and Audran. You remember how we met, right?"

"Of course I do." Nick said.

Let's flashback to Nick's first meeting with Ronnie and Audran. It was a few days after Nick and Judy scared off the Junior Ranger Scouts for the muzzling. It was a nice regular day at school and classes just ended. Nick walked the hall looking pretty happy. But as he did, someone bumped into him and knocked him to the wall.

"Oww! Hey!" Nick said to the person who bumps into him. He felt that it was intended.

The perpetrator was a male sheep. He was bulkier than Gareth is. He also had different eyes compared to Gareth or Sharla. He was wearing a yellow shirt and blue pants. He also didn't seem to be a 'fan' of foxes.

"Watch where you're going, fox." The sheep said sounding threatening.

"Watch where you're going? You were the one who bumped into me." Nick said in his head a bit angry.

It wasn't like Nick never got bullied by other mammals before. But after a while, he has had enough of it.

"Oh. I'm sorry. So it's okay to **intentionally** bump into other mammals?" Nick asked with a hint of being peeved. "How about an apology?"

"Well, you won't get an apology from me, fox." The sheep said firmly.

"That's not nice." Nick said looking angry.

"What are you gonna do about it?" The sheep asked with a smug smile.

Nick was too familiar with this situation. If he were to do something bold, others will think he was doing something wrong without getting the full story. You know, cause he's a fox. Nick was tempted to just walk away and let things go. That's was until someone came.

"Hey!" Someone shouted.

Both Nick and the sheep saw who it was and it was Audran. Looking like he was ready to defend Nick.

"I saw you. You were the one who shoved him." Audran said to the sheep. "So you should say sorry and don't do it again."

"Tch! He's a fox. He probably did something wrong anyway. I don't need to apology to him." The sheep said firmly.

"You better reconsider that." A voice from behind him went.

The sheep turned around and see a big bear kid, Ronnie, glaring at him angrily. The sheep may not have been scared of Nick or Audren, but Ronnie was a bear. A bit higher on the fear list.

"Eep!" The sheep went.

"Now, I believe you own this guy an apology." Ronnie said crossing his arms.

"S... s... sorry for pushing you." The sheep said to Nick sounding really scared.

"Like you mean it." Ronnie said firmly.

"I'm... really sorry for pushing you on purpose." The sheep went still sounding scared.

"Good." Ronnie said looking happy.

"Now run off before you make us both madder, eh?" Audran said pointing at his right.

The sheep went off. Away from Nick and it sounded like he was weeping a bit. Even so, Nick was now safe. Audran and Ronnie then got closer to Nick.

"You okay, man?" Ronnie asked.

"I'm fine. No need to worry." Nick said brushing his shirt a bit.

"You're... Nick, right?" Audran asked.

"Yeah. That's me. You're..." Nick said trying to guess their names. "Audran and Ronald, right?"

"Good guess." Ronnie said with a smile. "But... uhhh... call me Ronnie."

"Okay. Anyway, thanks for the save." Nick said to them.

Nick then started to be on his way. Which surprised Audran and Ronnie a bit.

"Hey, wait!" Ronnie said wanting Nick to stop walking for a moment. Nick did that and stopped to listen to Ronnie. "We help you and you just decide to run off?"

"Sorry. I'm... trying to leave on a high note. You know, before you get an opinion of me." Nick stated.

"We're not as judgy as that other guy." Audren said. "Come on. Let's walk and talk."

Nick was surprised that these two wanted to talk with him. But they did seem nice enough. So he decided to take Audren's request.

"Alright." Nick said.

So Audran and Ronnie walked with Nick as they made their way out of the school building.

"To be honest, we were hoping to run into you." Ronnie said.

"Really?" Nick said looking a bit surprised.

"We... wanted to talk to you about something." Audran said. Both him and Ronnie leaned closer to Nick.

"You're... the one who scared the Junior Scouts, are you?" Ronnie whispered.

"What?" Nick said making sure to keep his volume down. He was shocked that someone knew about that. He was trying to do his best to keep that on the down low. "Shhhh! Not here. I don't want other kids to get the wrong idea."

"So it was you." Audran said standing straight again.

"Look, I can explain the reason I did that." Nick said.

"No need. We can talk more about that later." Ronnie said not wanting Nick to worry.

The three made it outside of the school.

"How about we go get a bite to eat?" Ronnie asked Nick. "Lunch didn't really cut it for me? Don't worry. My treat?"

"That's kind of you to offer. But... my folks are picking me up and taking me straight home." Nick said.

The three boys then hear two honks from a car horn. It was from Nick's parents' car. They could see that his mom, Frankie, was waving from the passenger's seat.

"There they are right now." Nick said to Audran and Ronnie.

"Oh. So those are your folks. How about meet them and ask them it's okay?" Ronnie asked.

"If you want." Nick said shrugging.

Audran and Ronnie walked with Nick to his family's car to meet his parents.

"Hey, mom. Hey, pop." Nick said greeting his parents.

"Hello, Nick." Frankie said happily to see her son.

"Hello." Audran said to Nick's folks.

"Hi." Ronnie said also to Nick's folks.

"Oh. Who are these boys with you, Nicky?" John asked.

"I'm Audran." Audran said introducing himself.

"And I'm Ronnie." Ronnie said introducing himself.

"Are you both friends with our boy?" John asked them.

"Yeah." Ronnie said happily. "Well, kinda. We wanna be friends with him."

"But uhh... we kinda just met him a few minutes ago." Audran said.

"Is that right?" Frankie asked looking pretty happy.

"They asked me to join them for a quick bite. Is it okay if I go with them for a bit?" Nick asked.

"I don't know. Johnny, what do you think?" Frankie asked her husband.

"The boys did say they want to be friends with our son AND they offer him to get something to eat with them. I don't see any reason why not." John said with a smile.

"I don't either." Frankie said to John. She then looked at Nick. "Alright, sweetie. You can go with them for a while. Just be sure to come home and do your homework."

"Yes, ma'am." Nick said to his mom.

"Well then, see ya at home." John said to Nick.

"Okay. See ya soon, pop." Nick said to his dad.

With that, John and Frankie drove off and Nick, Ronnie, and Audran waved goodbye to them.

"Your parents seem really nice." Ronnie stated.

"They are." Nick said. "Soooooo... where are we heading for grub?" Nick asked Ronnie.

"There's a joint that a 3-minute walk from here. Let's go there." Ronnie said with a smile. "We also gotta hear how you outsmarted those scout jerks."

"Yeah. Let's go, eh?" Audran said while patting Nick on the back.

"Okay." Nick said looking pretty happy.

So Ronnie and Audran led Nick to one of the fast food joints in the area. The restaurant was called the Gary's Grubhole. A fast-food restaurant that specialized in veggie burgers and sandwiches. In the restaurant, the three boys made their orders and now waited for their food. They did get cups for their drinks. Each of them got a soda and drank them on a table. Nick told both Ronnie and Audran how he got back at the scouts for muzzling them. Then Ronnie and Audran told Nick some other stuff as well.

"WHAT?!" Nick shouted out.

"Woah! Not so loud." Audran said to Nick. "Other people are here too."

"Sorry. It's that... OOOOOOHHHHH! Those guys make me so mad." Nick said looking pretty ticked. "So, Ronnie, you were one of their victims too?"

"I was. But they didn't get the muzzle on me." Ronnie stated. "Audran got me out of there before they got the chance." Ronnie started looking sad. "But you... you actually got muzzled."

"Please... don't bring it up." Nick said as he covered his muzzle. "The whole event is still fresh."

"Right... sorry." Ronnie said feeling bad that he mention that.

"Grrrr... those jerks. I already knew there must have been other victims, but I didn't want to all be right. I can't believe they got away with it for so long." Nick said before angrily sipping his soda. "Makes me feel that Judy and I should have done more to them."

"Standing up to them was enough. You did a great job handling them. That's more than anyone else has done." Audran said. "I was part of them before I knew what they did. I quit their little group after they tried to put the muzzle on Ronnie here. I had no intention of being part of a group like that."

"Hmm. So you were willing to help a predator?" Nick asked Audran.

"Ronnie and I have been the best of buds for a while now. Why wouldn't I want to give that up, eh?" Audran asked Nick.

"I can relate to that." Nick said with a smile.

Nick really can relate to that. He wouldn't want to lose his friendship with Judy for anything. He was happy that he wasn't the only predator befriending a prey. So it was no surprise that he started liking these two.

"So who's this Judy girl? Does she goes to our school?" Ronnie asked.

"No. She's my friend from Bunnyburrow. Also, before you ask, yes. She's a bunny." Nick said.

"You're friends with a bunny. Wow. People are sooooo wrong about foxes." Ronnie said.

"It's not THAT weird. It's like people never see a fox and a bunny be friends." Nick said firmly.

"Have you?" Audran asked.

"..." Nick was silent for a moment before speaking again. "No. No I haven't."

"Haha! Overall, you seem like a nice guy." Ronnie said happily while lightly bumping Nick on the shoulder.

"I agree." Audran said. "So... how about it? Are we friends now?"

"If you're okay with being friends with a 'sneaky' fox." Nick said with a smirk.

"I think we will get along just fine." Audran said smirking as well.

"Great! Then we're both your friends now, Nick." Ronnie said happily. "Also, we heard that you are forming a pack. We'll join that too."

"Really?!" Nick said surprised.

"If you're okay with having a 'scary' bear and moose that said "Eh?" a lot." Ronnie said with a smirk.

"I think we will get along just fine." Nick said just like Audran. "Alright! Two more members. I was starting to worry the pack wasn't gonna get much of us."

As Ronnie and Audran decided to join Nick's pack, the Zoo-Burrow scouts, a deer waitress came carrying a tray with the boys' food.

"Here's your order." The deer waitress said to the boys.

"Thank you." The boys said happily.

She places the food on the boys' table. One regular size veggie burger for Audran, two large black bean burgers for Nick and Ronnie, and 3 sides of curly fries.

"Alright, time to dig in." Ronnie said rubbing his paws together.

Audran and Ronnie had dug in their burgers. Nick, however, he felt that the burger was a little... big for him. It looked twice the size of the regular burgers he gets.

"Uhhhhh... I wanted a regular." Nick said feeling awkward.

"The large was only 20 cents more. It's a better deal then getting the regular." Ronnie stated as he chomped on his burger.

"But it's also twice the size of the one I usually have." Nick said. "I don't think I can eat this much."

"Come on. I think your scrawny fox body could use the extra meat on your bones." Ronnie said.

"Scrawny?" Nick said not like being called that. "I ain't scrawny. It's just that... a little much for a mammal like me."

"It's fine. You can just take the easy way and get a doggie bag." Ronnie said with a smirk.

Nick had an unamused expression on his face. Ronnie's words sounded more like an insult to him. Nick didn't want to let that slide. He picked up his burger and ready to eat it.

"I'll show you, scrawny." Nick said before taking multiple bites at the burger. The way Nick was eating it was close to savage like.

"This must be how predators ate their food in the past." Audran said.

"Hahaha! He's got some spark in him." Ronnie said with a smile.

That's how Nick became friends with Ronnie and Audran. Now back to the fishing trip. Nick and Ronnie had finish recalling that moment.

"... and we've been pals ever since." Nick said to Ronnie.

"Glad we were right about you, Nick." Ronnie said.

"I'm glad you took a chance on being friends with a fox." Nick said.

"Well, it's not like people take chances on bears either." Ronnie said. "*sigh* Nick, for a while, Audran was the only real friend I had. Most of the other kids in school are scared of me just by looking at me. It bothers me, but sometimes, I was able to use it to my advantage. Not in a bad way, but to help others out."

"Like you did with me?" Nick asked.

"Uh huh." Ronnie said nodding. "Most people don't want to mess with a bear. So I always help the kids that needed it."

"That's pretty nice of you." Nick said.

"Yeah. It was the same with for papa bear." Ronnie said. "So Nick, just know... if you need help with anything, you can count on me to help you out."

"Thanks, Ronnie." Nick said with a smile.

The two them bump fists as a good sign of friendship. Nick then seem more motivated to fish. He lifted his pole up as he looked at the water. Nick had a good idea.

"Say, Ronnie, how about we cast my pole together? I don't know why, but I have a good feeling about this one." Nick said sounding positive.

"You know what, let's." Ronnie said grabbing the pole with Nick.

Both Nick and Ronnie held the pole firmly. Ready to cast it.

"On 3. 1..." Nick said.

"... 2 ... 3!" Nick and Ronnie said before casting.

They cast the lure really far into the water. The others noticed too.

"Nice!" Judy said impressed. "Looks like you bot got it really far."

"The best catches aren't in shallow waters." Ronnie stated.

"Now to wait to see what we catch." Nick said ask he holds the pole solo. After a few moments, Nick gets a bite. "Got something. I swear, this better not be a minnow or guppy."

As Nick tried to reel in the fish, something happens. Whatever Nick caught, it was trying to pull him back. It seems the fish was pretty strong.

"WOAH!" Nick said starting to lose his grip on the pole.

"I got ya, Nick." Ronnie said grabbing onto Nick. "Okay, let's pull it in together."

"Right!" Nick said nodding.

Ronnie kept his ground while Nick tried to reel in the fish.

"Come on. Come on." Nick said as he does his best to reel in the fish.

As he does one big pull and the fish at the end of his line reveal itself. It... wasn't a guppy. The fish was HUGE. At least 6 or 7 feet. It was dark blue with a crazy looking mouth and red stripes around both its sides. As it splashes back down in the water, the kids' mouths all dropped from what they saw.

"Guys?" Nick said looking frightened.

"Yeah?" Everyone else went also looking frightened.

"I don't think that's a minnow." Nick stated.

"Th... th... that's gotta be the Leviathan of the Lake." Ronnie stated sounding pretty sure.

"Well, it lives up to its name. That thing was HUGE!" Benji said.

"I didn't think I'd actually catch it." Nick said sounding a bit stunned. "What do we do? Do we actually try to reel it in."

"Of course we do." Ronnie said firmly. "Come on, Nick."

"Okay." Nick said looking determined.

Both Nick and Ronnie kept their feet firmly on the ground, but the Leviathan was strong and almost pulled them into the water.

"Woah woah woah!" Nick shouted out.

"Nick!" Judy said sounding worried.

Then Judy and the others immediately went over to help Nick and Ronnie. They all held on tight to see if they could catch the fish together.

"Ha! Let's see you pull all of us in." Nick said smirking.

Oddly enough, the Leviathan of the Lake was still strong enough to pull all the kids near the water.

"Ugh! Seriously?!" Finnick shouted. "The heck this fish do to get this big?"

"It's way too strong." Falisha stated.

"What are we gonna do?" Benji asked.

"I have an idea." Nick said boldly. "It's risky, but it's always worked for me in troubled times."

Whatever Nick had planned, it must have been something really bold.

"DADDDDYYYYY!" Nick shouted from the top of his lungs.

Nick's bold move... was calling for his daddy. Not really something most people are proud of, but what would you do in a situation like that? Not a second later, the others started shouting for help too. From a not so far distance, John and Mr. Behr were still on their boat. John's ears twitch as if he was hearing something.

"Hey? Did you hear something?" John asked Mr. Behr.

"Huh?" Mr. Behr said.

John was starting to listening really carefully to see what he could have heard. He started to hear the scared shouts of children.

"POP, HELP!"

"PAPA!"

"MR. WILDE! MR. BEHR!"

"HELP US!"

After listening carefully, he quickly realized that it was the kids' voices he was hearing.

"That's the kids!" John said looking really worried. "They need us."

"What?" Mr Behr said looking surprised.

John then throw Mr. Behr an oar and shouted out "START ROWING!" to him.

Both John and Mr. Behr quickly rowed their boat back to where the kids last were. Meanwhile, the kids were all still struggling to try to catch the Leviathan. Nick was starting to lose his grip on the pole.

"Grrrr... this guy has a lot of fight in him." Nick said as he tried to hold onto his fishing pole. "I don't know if I hold on."

"Keep your grip, Nick." Ronnie said still holding his place.

At that moment, John and Mr. Behr finally showed up.

"Nick!" John shouted.

"Pop! Mr. Behr!" Nick said glad to see them.

"What's the problem?" Mr. Behr asked the kids.

The kids responded by pointing at the water. Both John and Mr. Behr looked and see the giant catch the Nick and Ronnie were able to bag. They were in both total shock and awe that it was the Leviathan of the Lake.

"HOLY MACKAROLI! THAT'S HIM! _THE LEVIATHAN OF THE LAKE_!" Mr. Behr shouted.

"COBBLERS! You kids were actually able to catch him?" John asked shocked.

"Actually, the catching part is still a work-in-progress." Nick stated. "HELP!"

"Right! Right!" John and Mr. Behr before helping the kids.

John helps Nick hold the fishing pole firmer while Mr. Behr tried to hold everyone down. With him being the biggest person here, he was basically the group anchor.

"Now what do we have to do to reel in this guy?" Mervin asked.

"Okay. Nick, keep reeling him in while also keeping an eye on him." Mr. Behr said.

"Got it!" Nick sounding serious.

"Everyone else, keep your ground as Nick brings the big guy closer." Mr. Behr said.

"Got it!" Judy and the other kids said.

The Leviathan seem to have a lot of energy as he rapidly swam left to right.

"Point the pole the direction he's going." John said to Nick.

"Right, pop." Nick said doing what his dad tells him to do. Nick was able to pull him in some more, but clearly, it wasn't back down. "Man, he's... tough."

"I'm surprised the line hasn't snapped yet." John said.

"Best fishing lines in the city. They are strong enough to hold a truck." Mr. Behr stated.

"Huh. Nice." John said impressed. "I like to hear more later."

After some more reeling, the Leviathan was closer and closer to them. It was also looking like it was getting tired.

"Haha! We got'em now." John said looking happy.

"Just a bit more." Mr. Behr also said looking happy.

As close as they were to catch it, Nick and Ronnie started to feel off. As much as they both wanted to catch the Leviathan of the Lake, they both felt that everyone else helping them made it felt too easy. After exchanging looks, both Nick and Ronnie nodded to each other.

"Everyone, as much as we appreciate the help, Ronnie and I can take it from here." Nick said.

"What?" Everyone else but Ronnie went.

"Yeah. Nick and I were the ones to lure it, we should be the ones to bag it."Ronnie said.

"Are... you boys sure?" John asked looking worried.

"You weaken him down for us. We got this." Nick said confidently.

"Yeah. Win or lose, we got this." Ronnie added also sounding confident.

Everyone was a bit concerned that Nick and Ronnie wanted to tackle the giant fish on their own. But the looks in Nick and Ronnie's eyes told them all they needed to know.

"Alright Slick, if that's what you want." John said with a smile.

"Go for it, Lil Ronnie." Mr. Behr said a smile.

"Thanks." Nick and Ronnie said.

"Alright kids, you heard 'em." Mr. Behr said to the other kids. "Let go."

"Good luck, you two." Judy said to Nick and Ronnie.

So John, Mr. Behr, Judy, Finnick, Benji, Mervin, and Falisha all let got and left Nick and Ronnie to handle their pulling job. Even when Nick and Ronnie said "We got this.", it was still quite a rough struggle.

"Okay... instantly regretting things." Nick said feeling overwhelmed.

"Come on, Nicky. Give it your all." Ronnie said.

"Right! Giving it my all." Nick said feeling motivated.

Like before, Nick held the pole with all he had and Ronnie helped Nick by holding his ground as Nick reeled in the Leviathan. Nick kept spinning the baitcast while bringing the fish closer and closer.

"Almost got it." Ronnie said.

 _The Leviathan of the Lake_ was drained after all the tassel before. This was their chance. The chance to bring in the monster of a fish. Nick and Ronnie pull the fishpole up. Bringing him in closer and closer.

"Almost... almost..." Nick grunted.

Nick and Ronnie then mustered all the strength they had left into one final pull. As soon as they got the big guy close to the edge...

"Now! Ronald!" John shouted.

"On it!" Mr. Behr said as he walked to the edge of the water in front of Nick and Ronnie. He then grabbed the Levianthan of the Lake from the water lifted up and brought it to land. The fish was heavy, but not for someone who happens to be a bear. He put the fish down where everyone could look at it. "The sucker was heavy, but here it is."

"Hahaha! You did it, boys!" John said happily.

Both Nick and Ronnie were beyond tired. The two of them just fell down to the ground, breathing very heavily.

"*huff* We... did... it, Ronnie." Nick said exhausted. "We're... legends now."

"Yeah. *huff* In your... face, Leviathan." Ronnie said also exhausted.

"Nicely done, Nick." Judy said happily. "You two, Ronnie. You guys really were able to catch the Leviathan of the Lake."

"With our help." Finnick said boasting a bit.

"Yeah... yeah..." Nick and Ronnie said still too exhausted.

John then went over to Nick and lifted him up. "You did good, son. You were able to catch one of the biggest catch in this lake." John said to Nick. He then put him down and took off his fishing hat and put it on top of Nick's head. "I believe you earn this."

"Your lucky fishing hat?" Nick asked as he feels the hat on his head. "Awesome! Thanks, pop."

As Nick was admiring the gift his dad gave him, Benji was observing the big catch and notice something.

"Hey? I think something is inside this thing's mouth." Benji said.

"Huh?" Ronnie said getting up. "Let me see."

Ronnie went over to the fish and inside its mouth. He then reaches into it and pulled out something. It looked like a gold-colored lure that was a fish.

"Papa... is this..." Ronnie said to his dad.

"My lucky lure. Well, I'll be." Mr. Behr said surprised. "The big guy still had it this whole time."

"Then it's only fair that you get it back." Ronnie said handing the lure to his dad.

"You know what..." Mr. Behr said after thinking about it. "... how about you keep it?"

"Really?" Ronnie said surprised.

"Yeah. After that catch, you earned it." Mr. Behr said with a smile.

Ronnie then went over to hug his dad.

"Thanks, Papa." Ronnie said happily.

"You're welcome. I'm proud of you, son." Mr. Behr said hugging Ronnie back.

One thing every kid wants... is to make their parent proud of them. Ronnie was more than happy that his dad told him he was proud of him. Judy then got out a camera.

"How about we get a picture of you two and your catch for photographic evidence?" Judy asked.

"Yeah." Nick said pumping his fist.

Mr. Behr lifted the Leviathan of the Lake up while Nick and Ronnie stood side by side to it.

"Say... cheese and crackers." Judy said getting ready to take the photo.

"Cheese and crackers!" Nick and Ronnie said smiling.

Judy took the picture and it was a good shot of the two with their catch. Sometime later, everyone decided to cook up a few fillets from all their catches. Also some veggies for side dishes and for Judy. As they at their food, Nick still went on and on about how glad he was to catch the Leviathan of the Lake while waving his pole.

"Haha! Still can't believe we were able to catch such a monster of a fish." Nick said boldly. He then looked at his fishing pole and notice some cracks. "Aw man. Looks like my pole was close to breaking."

"I'm surprised it didn't snap earlier." Finnick said.

"No worries. I can fix that for you later." Ronnie said as he ate his fish.

"Thanks!" Nick said as he puts his pole down. He then focused on his fish. Looking at Judy's plate, she had no fish. Nick took a piece of fish from his fillet and wave it in front of Judy's face. "So Carrots, ready to take a bite out of a predator's main meat source?"

"Uhhh... no thanks." Judy said looking nervous.

"You sure?" Nick asked with a smirk. "Where was all that talk about prey mammals eaten fish nowadays? What? Worried that it will turn you into a predator?"

"N... no! I just... feel weird about being the first bunny to eat... 'meat'." Judy stated.

"You're the first bunny for a lot of things. What's one more?" Nick asked smirking while still waving the fish in her face.

"Yeah. Don't you want to take a step into the wild side, Bunny Girl?" Finnick asked slyly.

As Nick continued to tease Judy a bit more, the two dads, John and Mr. Behr were talking to each other.

"So, are you upset about not bagging the Leviathan of the Lake for yourself?" John asked.

"A little, yes. But I'm proud that our boys were able to catch him." Mr. Behr said happily. "Besides, I can't be upset with a sight like this."

Mr. Behr was referring to all the kids being happy and laughing together. If anything makes a dad happy, it's seeing their children happy.

"We have some good kids. Don't we, John?" Mr. Behr asked.

"Sure do, Ron. Sure do." John said with a smile. "For the record, my son totally did most of the work.

"Seriously? Have you seen my boy compared to yours?" Mr. Behr asked with a smirk. "He was the muscle."

"My boy's got muscles. Fox muscles. Just like his old man." John said proudly.

"Whatever you say, John. Whatever you say." Mr. Behr went with a smirk.

 **That's all for this chapter. This chapter was longer than it was meant to be. But I'm glad that I finished it. As usual, there will be more chapters to come soon. Once again, thank you so much for ready this story over the past year. Til next time.**


	31. Chapter 29: Parents' Day Off

**Alright! It's time for chapter 29. Man, I'm almost at 30 chapters. Can't believe how long this story is turning out to be. Seriously, this was only met to be a 8-10 chapters. But whatever gets me more readers and whatever makes them happy. So this is another chapter on the parents. This idea I got from one of my comments. The person suggested I do something with the moms and dads going out. Like Frankie and Bonnie going to the spa or John and Stu seeing a baseball game. I like the spa idea, but I wanted to do a bar scene for the dads. The bar idea I got from the old sitcom, Cheers. If anyone actually knows that show. Anyway, enough talk about the chapter. Let's get to it.**

* * *

It was the middle of the week. While their visit wasn't til the weekend, Judy did wanted to call Nick on the phone and talk to him about a few things.

"So you now have 5 new siblings? That's good news." Nick said happy for Judy.

"Well... more of like news. I already told you before, I have a lot of siblings." Judy stated.

"I know." Nick said. "So... tell me about the babies."

"Mom and Dad had a girl... and a boy... and another boy... and another girl... and one more girl." Judy said.

"Any of them named after a certain fox?" Nick asked implying if any of them were named after him.

"No Nicholas. But mom and dad **did** name the last born Nicole if that counts for anything." Judy said to Nick.

"Oh. Then I'm okay with that." Nick said.

"So how's school been for you?" Judy asked.

"You know. Same old." Nick said not sounding amused. "Teachers still give us too much work. It's not getting any easier either. What about you?"

"Same. Today, the teacher went on about dominant traits and stuff." Judy said.

"Dominant traits?" Nick asked sounding interested.

"Okay, you know how even with us being evolved, we still have traits from our primal stages of evolution?" Judy asked. "The same can be said about traits we get from our parents."

"You mean like their looks or liking the same things they do?" Nick asked.

"Exactly." Judy replied. "It's true for you. You're so much like both your parents. Me on the other hand, I'm not even sure how I'm like my parents. I mean, I'm not even the same fur color as either of them nor do I have the same eye color."

"To top it off, you act completely different from them too." Nick added.

"Guess dominate traits aren't true for everyone." Judy said.

When you think about it, Judy and Nick were right. Nick was like his parents, but Judy wasn't. She didn't look like them. She didn't act like them. If anything, Stu and Bonnie should start seeing the world like their daughter does. At that moment, Nick hears a call from his mother.

"NICK, SWEETIE! WASH UP FOR DINNER!" Frankie shouted out.

"OKAY!" Nick shouted while covering the speaking part of the phone. He then uncovers it to speak with Judy again. "Well, that's the dinner call. Gotta go."

"I got to get ready for dinner here too. You know what happens if I don't move fast enough." Judy said. "Bye Nick."

"Bye Judy." Nick said.

Nick and Judy then hanged up the phones. At the dinner table, Nick was enjoying dinner with his parents. Some salmon fillets with mashed potatoes and green beans. While eating, Nick was still thinking about his talk with Judy and dominant traits. Made he think about what traits he got from his folks.

"Mom, Pop, can I ask you something?" Nick said to his parents.

"What is it, Nicky?" John asked.

"What traits did I get from the two of you?" Nick asked.

"Pardon?" John said confused by what Nick meant.

"Judy was talking about dominant traits and how some kits get traits from both their parents. So what do I get from both of you?" Nick asked.

"From both of us? Well... I say you get a lot from us." Frankie said.

"I like to think you get your wits and your eyes from your mother." John said. "From me, it's not just your sense of humor, but your charming good looks."

Frankie rolled her eyes and said, "You also get your father's modesty."

"Hey. You know my good looks and humor is why you married me." John said with a smirk. "Well, two of the reasons that are."

"Huh. So I guess I am like you two." Nick said with a smile.

"Well, you are our baby boy." Frankie said happily.

"I'm not a baby anymore, mom." Nick said firmly. "Still... while I am like you two, Judy's not like Mr. Hopps or Mrs. Hopps."

"True. Judy's as different as they come. In personality and appearance. But I have no doubt that in some way, her parents and she are alike." John said.

"Your father's right. Judy wouldn't be the way she was if her parents didn't play some part to it." Frankie stated.

"I guess that makes sense." Nick admitted.

"Of course it does." John said. "Now finish up your dinner."

"Yes, pop." Nick said before eating more of his food.

The Wildes then finished up their dinner. Later that night, Nick was already asleep. John and Frankie however, they were still up and in their room, on their bed, in their covers. John was just looking up at the ceiling, while Frankie was reading some novel by the lamp's light. Seems like John has some things in mind.

"Say, Frankie?" John said to his wife.

"Later, Johnny. I want to finish this chapter." Frankie said as she turns the page of her book.

"No no. Not that. But good to know." John responded. "It's about what Nick was talking about at dinner."

"You mean about kids getting traits from their parents?" Frankie asked.

"Yeah. Frankie, we knew Stu and Bonnie for a long time now. But from what we both know, they are **completely** different from their daughter, Judy." John said to his wife.

"I can agree with that." Frankie said as she closes her book and puts it away. "If anything, I think the two of them need to be more like Judy and their other kids."

"Right. I do feel after meeting us, they have grown more comfortable with others. However, they could still use some more work." John said.

"Yeah. Stu still has a fear of certain predators and Bonnie, I don't think she's ever had a day off from being a mother. Meaning that she's never had a day to herself." Frankie stated.

"So one parent still fears to be around certain mammals while the other overworks herself with her motherly duties. If that's the case, what should we do about it?" John asked.

"I think it's pretty obvious." Frankie said with a bold smile.

"Hmmm... sounds like you want us to use our ol' wits again." John said with a smirk.

"Heeheehee! You know me so well." Frankie said with a smirk.

So it seems that the two foxes had a plan for their two bunny friends. Fast-forwarding to Saturday, it was another visit from the Hopps for the Wildes. John decided to close up the shop and spend the day with Stu. The two of them already left. As for Frankie and Bonnie, they were still at the door. Frankie was wearing a pinkie dress shirt and blue jeans and Bonnie was wearing a white sleeveless dress shirt with a long blue skirt. By the door-side, Judy's older sister, Gwen, was given directions of what to do from Bonnie.

"Now, be sure to keep the little ones safe and..." Bonnie said to Gwen.

"Moooom..." Gwen said quickly stopping her mom from saying anything else. "Don't worry. I've taken care of babies a million times. I can even handle the newborns."

"But this is the first time I ever had to leave anyone else in charge of looking after the newborns. They also have only been born a week ago." Bonnie stated.

"You need a day off. I can handle this." Gwen said confidently. "Why else would you have so many kids if they you didn't want them to take care of each other?"

"Well..." Bonnie said before Gwen interrupted her.

"No, the answer cannot be "It's what bunnies do.". Cause I can tell you right now, it's not." Gwen said firmly.

"WE ALL COULD!" A few of the other Hopps kids shouted from inside the place.

"I see your point." Bonnie admitted.

"They'll be fine, Bonnie. We're only gonna be gone a little while." Frankie told Bonnie.

"I suppose you're right." Bonnie said calmly. She then looked at Gwen again. "Just be sure to call us at the spa if anything bad happens."

"Will do." Gwen said with a smile.

As Bonnie walked away, while she wasn't looking, Frankie mouthed the words "Don't call us.". Gwen just gave out a wink as a way of saying "Got it." With that, Bonnie and Frankie made their way to the bus stop since John and Stu took the car. The two moms got on a bus that led to Savanna Central. They then did a few minutes of walking and stopped a white building. The sign on top of the building said "Joyful Meadows Day Spa".

"We're here." Frankie said to Bonnie. "The Joyful Meadows Day Spa."

"So this is a spa? We don't really have those at Bunnyburrow." Bonnie stated.

"Well then this will be a treat for you." Frankie said with a smile. She then opens the screen door. "Shall we head in?"

Bonnie nodded as she headed into the building with Frankie. The spa from the inside looked pretty fancy. White walls with some pink flower prints. In the front counter were some pots filled with white lilies and roses. There was also a sort of sweet aura in the area. Bonnie was in awe of the place.

"Quite the place. I can't tell if I'm in a spa or a fancy hotel." Bonnie said to Frankie.

"I know how to pick 'em." Frankie happily said to Bonnie

Frankie then made her way to the front counter. On the front counter was a female gazelle in a white outfit.

"Excuse me, reservation for Wilde and Hopps?" Frankie said to the gazelle.

"One second." The gazelle said looking at a clipboard with a list. "Ah. Right here. Head right over to those doors." She pointed on at some doors.

"Thank you." Frankie said kindly. She then faced Bonnie. "Alright Bonnie, let's enjoy our relaxing 3 hours of spa time."

"3 HOURS?!" Bonnie shouted out as her ears drooped down. "I thought it was for only 1 hour."

"Nope. 3 hours. 1 hour + 1 hour + 1 hour." Frankie stated.

"I don't think I can..." Bonnie said frantically. Frankie then held her paws.

"Bonnie, calm down. Your babies will be fine. Remember what we came here for." Frankie said sincerely to Bonnie.

"To relax." Bonnie said calming down.

"That's it, relax. So for the next 3 hours, we are both taking time off our motherly duties." Frankie said to Bonnie "Can you do that for me?"

With 276 children turning into 281 kids, Bonnie never really had time for herself. That's just how it is for bunnies moms. Moms usually focus on housework and watching the kids while the dads do work outside the homestead. Be it farmwork or not. Overall, Bonnie never really had a time where she wasn't holding a baby, changing diapers, or rocking someone to sleep. While all of that was good and all, she needed time to for herself. This may be the only time. So it's better to use it now or never.

"Okay. I can do that." Bonnie said nodding as her ears go back up. "It would help to lose some of this stress.

"Good. Now let's head in." Frankie said with a smile.

So Frankie and Bonnie began their spa day. Meanwhile, John and Stu were starting their day's plan as well. John was wearing a blue dress shirt with a white long sleeve shirt and jeans while Stu was surprising not wearing overalls like he usually does. He had on a blue polo shirt with tan pants. They got out of their car a while ago and started walking the rest of the way to their destination.

"Okay Stu, just a bit further." John said as they walked down the street.

"Where are we heading to again?" Stu asked.

"Just to my favorite sports bar." John told him. "I thought it would be good to take you there. You have been to a sports bar before, right?"

"We have sports bars in Bunnyburrow, John." Stu replied with a smirk.

"Well, this particular bar is gonna be a lot different than the bars there." John said to Stu. "It's why I told you not to wear your usual farm clothes."

"What's wrong with my overalls?" Stu asked.

"You wear them all the time. Seriously, after all the months I've known you, I've never NOT seen you in overalls." John stated.

"All I'm gonna say is farmers... wear... overalls." Stu stated proudly.

"Well, little warning. The mammals in this bar aren't too... fond... of farmers." John warned Stu.

"Wait... what?" Stu said sounding worried as his ears drooped.

"Hmmm... are you scared?" John asked with a sly smirk.

"Tch! Scared? Me? After being around you so many times, all of my fears went away." Stu said boldly with his ears going back up.

"If you say so." John said not really believing him.

A few seconds later, they stopped at a building. There was a neon sign on the building that said "Chomps" flashing red. By the barlike appearance, this had to be the place.

"We're here." John said happily.

"Chomps? That's a weird name for a bar." Stu said.

"I like to think it's unique." John said stretching his arms a bit. "It's been a long time since I've been here. Wonder if the usuals still remember me?" John then looked at Stu. "Now then, let's head in."

"Alrighty then." Stu said.

So they opened the door and went into the bar. Inside, there were quite a few mammals. Mostly males. There were some having drinks, some enjoying food, a few tables with people playing cards, and a large pool table. There were also some tvs at the top of the bar counter playing different sports games. It was quite a busy bar.

John then lets out a mighty shout. "HEEEEY EVERYBODY!"

"JOHNNY!" Nearly everyone in the bar shouted back.

"Huh. Guess that answers my earlier question." John said happily.

"Quite a... busy place." Stu said a bit nervous.

"Rather noon or in the evening, this place is always busy." John stated.

John then made his way to the bar counter. Stu followed as they go pass several other large mammals. All being predators.

"Hey, Johnny!" A male black bear went greeting John.

"How's it going?" John said happily.

"Wide Smile! It's been a while." A male gray wolf said.

"What's shaking?" John asked giving the wolf a wink and a gun.

"John! Haven't seen you in a long time." A female coyote waitress went while holding a tray of food.

"Had a reason to be here today." John answered to the coyote.

"Looks like a lot of people know you here." Stu said to John.

"I get around." John said shrugging.

"I... uhh... also notice that... uhh... most of the mammals are on the 'big and sharp' side." Stu said noticing the majority of the guests in this bar were predators.

"Oh right. I didn't tell you yet." John said to Stu before having a sly smile on his face. "While Chomps is a bar open to general public, the main customers, the regulars, they're all predators."

When John mentioned that, Stu's ears drooped and his nose started to twitch. He then looked at all directions and realized that John was right. In fact, all the customers in the bar were predators. Foxes, wolves, weasels, otters, bears, tigers, lions, honey badgers. All of them were predators. Without a prey mammal to be sighted. This made Stu feel very VERY uncomfortable.

"Sweet cheese and crackers..." Stu said to himself looking really worried.

Meanwhile, while Stu was trying to get ahold of himself, Frankie and Bonnie switched into white robes and getting ready for their first treatment of their spa day. A nice massage. They went over to a room with two massage tables. Inside two female horses wearing white spa uniforms. One was fully white with a blonde mane and the other was black with a white between her eyes and nose.

"Welcome!" The mares said in a greeting matter.

"Will you two be our masseuses?" Frankie asked.

"We sure will be." The white mare said happily.

"Lay yourselves onto these tables." The black mare said.

"Alright then." Frankie said.

Frankie then began to loosen up her robe and was about to take it off. Bonnie kinda freaked out at the site of this and halted Frankie.

"Woah woah! Frankie, what are you doing?" Bonnie asked getting a bit redfaced.

"Taking off my robe." Frankie answered. "How do you expect them to give us a proper massage?"

"With them on." Bonnie answered firmly.

"What are you so worried about? We're all ladies here." Frankie stated. "Now, come on."

Not arguing, Bonnie and Frankie took off their robes and lay down on the massage tables with towels covering their middle and lower bodies.

"Alright ladies, just relax." The white mare said.

"Let our hooves relieve you of all of your worries." The black mare said.

The masseuses then began doing their job by massaging the two moms. The white mare was massaging Frankie while the black mare would be massaging Bonnie. Frankie seems to enjoy being massaged by the masseuse's hooves lightly pushing up and down on her back.

"Ohhhhhh... that feels so good." Frankie said sounding relaxed.

Bonnie, however, it seems that went that black mare tried to massage her, it looked like she was in pain.

"Oww!" Bonnie shouted out.

"Ma'am, I barely touched you." The black mare said to Bonnie.

"Sorry." Bonnie responded. "I'm not used to getting a massage. Try again."

The mare tried again to massage Bonnie, but once again... she shouted in pain.

"Oww!" Bonnie shouted out.

"Jeez! Your muscles must be really tense." The black mare said. "That's why the simple touches are causing you pain."

"Bonnie, you have tense muscle?" Frankie asked lifting her head from the table and looking about Bonnie.

"I... guess I do." Bonnie said sounding unsure.

"Tense muscles are usually caused by stress." The white mare said.

"Bonnie, when's the last time you had a 'You' Day?" Frankie asked.

"A 'You' Day?" Bonnie said looking confused.

"You know, a day for yourself. A day you're not pregnant, sick, working, or taking care of the army of kids you have. A day with you just doing nothing but relaxing." Frankie said.

"Uhhhhhhh..." Bonnie responded. Which pretty much implied she never had a 'You' Day.

"Oh my god, Bonnie!" Frankie said not wanting to believe it.

"No wonder why you're muscles are so tense." The black mare said.

"I have a **lot** of kids. So sorry if I don't really have many 'days off'." Bonnie replied.

"Stress is a silent killer, Bonnabela." Frankie said.

"She's definitely gonna be one of our harder clients." The black mare said. "But don't worry. I know just what to do." The masseuse then rolled her sleeves up. "This technique I'm about to use SHOULD release some of the tension in your body."

"Should?" Bonnie said looking worried.

"I've never tried this technique on a bunny, but I'll think you will be fine." The black mare said.

"Ooooh boy! This may not end well for your friend." The white mare whispered to Frankie.

"WHAT?!" Bonnie shouted out looking worried and hearing that.

The masseuse started by pulling on Bonnie's arms. Maybe a bit too hard. Bonnie let out a scream like her arm was being pulled right out of its socket. Then masseuse then went from some hard presses on Bonnie's back. She was screaming as if she was getting stomped on. Frankie flinched a lot at the sight of all of this. After a gruesome minute of arm pulling, back stomping, and screaming, the masseuse then went to her normal massaging method.

"Ah... ah..." Bonnie went as the masseuse laid her hooves on Bonnie's back before finally... "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." The tension from her muscles finally went away. Her ears drooped down and she was feeling very relaxed. "Ohhh... wow."

"Sounds like you're finally relaxed." Frankie said with a smile.

"Ohhhh... yeeeeeah." Bonnie said nodding as the masseuse continue to rub her back. "It's like all the years of stress are slowly melting away."

"Hehehe! I have that effect with most clinics." The black mare said proudly.

"Well sweetheart, keep doing what you are doing. Cause this bunny here LOVE it." Bonnie said without a care in the world.

It looked like Bonnie is finally getting used to being relaxed. Frankie was pretty happy for her.

"Looks like part one of my plan is working like a charm." Frankie thought with a smirk.

Both masseuses continued to with their job of massaging the moms. Now, let's get back to the dads. John and Stu are still at Chomps and made their way to the bar counter. Stu was shaking very nervously in his chair. John couldn't help but notice. It didn't really stop him from having a sly smirk on his face.

"Is there a problem, Stewie?" John asked.

"N... n... no! I'm... pe... perfectly fine." Stu said in a matter that felt like he wasn't.

"Still haven't conquered that fear of predators, huh?" John asked.

"I can handle being with you, Frankie, Nick, and his and Judy's friends." Stu stated. "But... other predators... big adults predators..." Stu started shaking a bit more. "It also doesn't help that I'm the only prey mammal here."

While Stu has gonna over his fear of foxes, or at least most foxes, Stu still was scared of most mammals on the predator side. He also didn't feel comfortable being the only one there without a sharp pair of chompers.

"Stu, while it may not look it, all the mammals here are good people. They come here to either get some food, grab a beer, or watch a game. So relax yourself. You'll feel better when you do." John said.

Stu took a deep breath before speaking to John. "I suppose you're right. I have to start telling myself that not all predators are bad news. It's just hard to break old habits."

"I know. But trust me, you're safe here." John said sincerely. "Now then, how about I order us something." No one was at the counter so John started banging on it. "HEY WAITER! WE WANT SOME SERVICE!"

"HOLD YOUR TAIL! I'M COMING!" A voice from the back shouted.

Out from the back came a fox in a bartending suit. The fox with harder fur than John and was also a bit thicker then he was.

"Well, I'll be. John Wilde." The bartender said with a smile. "I thought I recognized your voice."

"Hey, David. Been a while, hasn't it?" John said to the other fox.

"I'll say." David said to John. He then looked at Stu. "Who's this? Did you brought an appetizer?"

"Wh... what?!" Stu said looking frightened as his ears drooped.

"Ah hahahah! Just kidding." David said joking around. "I ain't gonna eat you or anything like that. So don't sweat it."

"Ha... haha..." Stu laughed nervously. Guess he hasn't got over his fear of 'some' foxes.

"David, this a Stu Hopps. He's from outta town. Stu, this is David Sharpe. He's not only the bartender, but the owner of this bar." John stated.

"Really?" Stu said surprised.

"That's right. Welcome to my bar." David said greeting Stu. "Sorry for the scare earlier. Most bunnies tend to stay away from my place."

"Good thing I'm... not like most bunnies." Stu said even if it wasn't true.

"Mm hmm." David said raising an eyebrow. "You can take a bunny out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the bunny." He then pointed at his nose. "I can tell by your scent that you're a farmer."

"Ohhh... I... ummm..." Stu uttered.

Oh boy. John did tell Stu that some of the mammals at this bar aren't too fond of farmers. Now it seems that Stu was in a bit of a situation since David could tell he was a farmer.

"Now don't fret. It's fine." David said. "Foxes may not be welcome everywhere, but that doesn't mean us foxes will do the same to other mammals. My bar may mostly serve predators, but I welcome anybody."

"*sigh* That's a relief." Stu said getting calmer.

"So, what can I get you, boys?" David asked getting a notepad out.

Stu looked at the menu in front of him on the counter. "Hmmmm... what's good?"

"Allow me to order for us." John said to Stu. "He'll have the Blackbean sliders. I'll have the curly fries."

"Any drinks?" David asked as he written the order down.

"Two of regulars. Light and small mugs. We do want to get home sober." John said.

"Still being responsible, ay Johnny?" David asked as he finishes writing in the notepad. "Alright, Mel will bring those orders right up."

David walked into the kitchen to tell the cook what to make. He then came back out and grabbed two glass mugs. He went to the beer tabs and poured beer into each glass. Both with a very foamy top. David then places the mugs in front of John and Stu.

"Here you boys go." David said after giving them their beers.

"Thanks!" John said happily.

"Thank you." Stu said happily as well.

The two picked up their mugs then clanked them each other's and shouted out "Cheers!" before taking a sip. Stu used to country style beer. City style beer to him had a peculiar taste to him. Not a bad taste. Just different than he's used to. David looked at both John and Stu. He's seen a lot of people in his bar, but never a fox and rabbit that are actually friends.

"Stu, was it? How do you know Johnny here?" David asked as he was cleaning one of his glasses.

"Well, we know each other because our kids became friends." Stu said as he puts his beer down.

"Yeah. My boy, Nick, is really close to his daughter, Judy. It eventually led to us visiting each other every week when we can." John stated before taking another sip of his beer.

"I see. Good to know your kid has a friend." David said with a smile.

"Actually, now he has many friends." John said proudly. "They're all nice kids too."

"That's even better to hear." David said. "Good to know not everyone thinks foxes are bad as our reputation says we are."

"Ye.. yeah..." Stu said studdering a bit.

Stu then looked at his beer and saw a reflection of himself. He looked pretty sad. One could guess that he still was guilt for thinking foxes were all bad news. Growing up in a town full of bunnies will do that to you.

"Something troubling you, Stu?" David asked.

"I... uhh... use to think that... before I met Johnny and his family, of course." Stu admitted. "To be honest, I'm still a bit scared being around most predators."

"Are you handling yourself being here?" David asked.

"It's a bit left and right, but I'll live." Stu said.

"Good. Any other bunny would be running for the door by now." David said. "You're a brave bunny."

"Oh..." Stu said not expecting to hear that. "Thanks!"

Another moment later, a big male panda bear came from the back room holding plates of food.

"Four black bean sliders and a large order of curly fries." The panda said.

"Bring 'em here, Mel." David said calling the panda over.

The panda, Mel, place the plates in front of John and Stu.

"Thanks, Mel." John said thanking Mel for the food.

"No problem." Mel said to John before heading back into the kitchen.

The black bean sliders and curly fries both looked good. But... uhh... the amount of food on each plate was... huge. The four sliders could still be considered sliders for a large mammal, but for smaller mammals, like bunnies, they could be considered as full-sized burgers. As for the large plate of curly fries, it was like a double or triple order, cause there were so many fries on the plate. John didn't seem to mind the large portions. Stu however, he felt that it was a bit 'much' for a bunny.

"Alright. Let's dig in." John said rubbing his paws together.

"Are you kidding? Have you seen our plates?" Stu asked John. "These four 'sliders' are like regular black bean burgers to me."

"Sure, they're pretty big to you and me." John said before eating a curly fry. "But I'm pretty sure you can down them."

"In what world and time?" Stu shouted out.

"Come on. Just by looking at you, I can tell you put down a few in your days." John said while patting Stu's stomach.

"Not gonna lie, I know I'm a bit on the 'chunky' side." Stu admitted. "But still, this is a lot for me to eat."

"Fine. If you're gonna be a baby about it, we'll split our foods." John suggested. "Is that okay with you."

"That will work." Stu said nodding.

John took one of Stu's 'sliders' and took a bite out of the burger.

"Mmmmmmm..." John went. Seems like he really likes the burger. "Oh my god. I forgot how good these were."

Not wanting to be left out, Stu grabbed one of the burgers as well and took a bite out of it. He seems to like it too.

"Wow! This really is good!" Stu said surprised. "This even puts the veggie burgers in Bunnyburrow to shame."

"I know, right?" John said with a smile.

As John and Stu enjoyed their food, let's find out how Frankie and Bonnie were doing. Back at The Joyful Meadows Day Spa, Frankie and Bonnie were relaxing in another one of the spa treatments. A dip in a yuzu bath. Yuzus are known as a top of citrus that gives out a pleasant aroma. Combined with hot water, it is said to ward off sickness and heal the body and skin. Or for Frankie and Bonnie's case, their fur. Both Frankie and Bonnie relaxed in the hot water, each in their own individual baths.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh..." Frankie and Bonnie went feeling like they were both in total zen.

"Do you feel all that pain and stress slowly go away?" Frankie asked Bonnie.

"Sure do. I feel like I'm a carefree teenager again." Bonnie said to Frankie.

"You were carefree? " Frankie asked.

"You sound surprised." Bonnie said with a smirk.

"Maybe I am." Frankie said also smirking. The two then shared a laugh. "So, how are you enjoying today, Bon?"

"Oh. I'm enjoying it a lot." Bonnie said happily. "While I was nervous at first, I'm glad you offered to take me here today."

"Your very welcome." Frankie said with a smile. "Consider this a token of our friendship."

"But... all these treatments... they must have cost a lot." Bonnie said looking concern.

"Now now. Don't worry. Remember, money isn't a issue with our family anymore." Frankie said boldly. "Also, I been saving up for a day at the spa anyway. That... and I had a 2-for-1 coupon."

"Oh. Well if that's the case..." Bonnie said before dipping her whole self into the water. She then pokes her head back into the surface. "Ahhh... other than feeling like a steam bun, this is really good."

"Can't believe you had so much stress earlier." Frankie said.

"Guess I never notice." Bonnie said honestly. "It's... kinda funny. Bunnies stress about unknown things all the time. But it seems that most of the stress I have came for doing the things I always do." Bonnie then started to have a sad expression on her face. "Have I been doing things wrong?"

"What?" Frankie said stunned to her Bonnie say that. "No. Of course, you haven't. You're a great mother."

"Great? Seems like that's the only thing I'm good at. If that's even true." Bonnie replied.

Seems that Bonnie had a few things on her mind.

"For most female bunnies, we only meant to do a few things. Get married, have babies, raise them, and have more babies." Bonnie stated. "I thought it was easy, but..."

"But..." Frankie said wanting her to go on.

"... but it's not." Bonnie answered. "I don't know a thing about most my kids and they're all going up too fast for me. Even if I'm there for one of them, I'm not for another 100 or so. Have I been doing things wrong? What should I do, Frankie?"

"I... can't tell you what you should do. I can tell you this. Whether we mothers want them to or now, all kids grow up." Frankie stated. "You can have as many kids as you want, but they all grow up and we can't do anything about it."

"Don't I know it." Bonnie said agreeing.

"I don't blame you. I still miss Nick's baby days. The day we brought him home, giving him his bottle, his first steps, and his first words. *sigh* If only our babies could be babies a little longer." Frankie said.

Frankie was feeling nostalgic with the memories she had of Nick as a baby. She missed those time a lot. It's also because Nick's her and John's only child.

"Bonnie, can I tell you something and can you promise not to overreact?" Frankie asked.

"What is it?" Bonnie asked.

"Not too long ago, John and I... have been _trying_ again." Frankie said.

"WHAT?!" Bonnie shouted as she nearly jumped out of the water.

"Jeez, thanks for not overreacting." Frankie said sarcastically.

"Sorry." Bonnie said getting back in the water.

This was pretty shocking news for Bonnie to hear. Apparently, Frankie and John have been trying to have another baby. Frankie wasn't always subtle when it came to her asking for another baby. But the news of them actually trying was totally new.

"So... so... you and Johnny are... trying to have a baby again. That's great to hear." Bonnie said happily. "Any luck?"

Frankie shook her head. "We're not as lucky as you bunnies, I guess." Frankie said. "Things have also been pretty stressful with us trying to make Suitopia a reality. So we both decided to stop for a while."

"Oh. That's too bad." Bonnie said a bit sorry for her.

"It's fine. Maybe that's why I wanted us to come here. I needed to get rid of some of my stress too." Frankie stated. "The stress from helping Johnny and the stress on whether to have another baby or not."

Bonnie had no idea that Frankie's life was actually stressful. The whole time Bonnie has known Frankie, she thought she was this vixen that was always calm and collective. Guess the two of them are more alike than you think.

"So... can I get your opinion on what I should do?" Frankie asked Bonnie.

"Well... from one stressed mother to another, you should just do what comes natural to us. Be a supportive mother and wife." Bonnie said. "Things will work out for you in the end. If you and Johnny were meant to have another baby, then it will happen. You just have to have faith."

Frankie couldn't help but slightly giggle a bit. "That advice sounds like something I should give to you."

"Guess it's something I picked up from you." Bonnie said with a smirk. "Now, let's continue with this luxurious bath."

"Let's." Frankie responded.

Frankie and Bonnie decided to stop talking and just enjoy their bath. Just letting the hot water and yuzu take their remaining stress away. Meanwhile, back and Chomps, John and Stu and just finished their food. John seem fine, but Stu looked like he felt queasy from too much food.

"So... full." Stu quivered while holding his stomach.

"Lightweight." John said sounding unimpressed. "I ate two of your sliders and you're still full?"

"It was a lot of food, Johnny." Stu stated firmly.

"Pssh! Back in the day, I order the sliders and the curly fries with it on a regular basis." John said boldly.

"Pretty sure predators are lesser likely to get full as easy as prey mammals." Stu said.

"Please. I'm not that bigger than you are." John said.

"Twice my height is **still** twice my height." Stu stated.

John burst into laughter. It was true that John was pretty much twice his height, but it wasn't like it should affect the way one eats. As Stu went on about foxes advantages on rabbits, someone from behind him spoke up.

"Johnny! I thought that was you." The person behind him said.

John and Stu turned around to see who it was. It was a male wolverine wearing glasses, a black polo shirt, and blue jeans. It was one of John's friends and regular customers, Harvey Wolven.

"Harvey!" John said happily to see him. He then got up from his stool, shake Harvey's paw and gives him a quick hug. "How have you been?"

"Good. Good." Harvey said happily.

"Stu, you remember Harvey Wolven, right?" John asked Stu.

"Oh yeah. From the first time, we came to Zootopia." Stu said remember meeting him from before.

"Harvey, you remember Stu Hopps." John said to Harvey.

"Of course. Not every bunny is friends with John here." Harvey said giving Stu a wave. "Good to see you again."

"Same here." Stu said.

"Come on. Sit. Sit. We got some catching up to do." John said leading Harvey to one of the stools by him and Stu.

As Harvey sat down, David from the counter walked over to him.

"Hey, Harvey. What will it be?" David asked.

"Just a regular beer." Harvey told him.

"Coming right up." David said.

David grabbed a clean mug, went to the beer tabs, and poured some beer into the mug. Leaving it with a foamy top. He then gave the beer mug to Harvey.

"Thanks!" Harvey said as he takes the mug. He raised his mug up before taking a sip out of it.

"So Harv, haven't seen you in the store. How have you been?" John asked.

"Just been busy. But not as busy as you have been, ay?" Harvey said bumping shoulders with John. "Heard your shop has been a doing a lot better now."

"Don't I know it it?" John said with a smile. "I'm even starting up my plans for my dream store, Suitopia."

"Haha! I knew things will go up for you sooner or later." Harvey said happily.

"I would prefer sooner than later." John stated.

Both John and Harvey started laughing together a bit. Stu looked at both John and Harvey and could tell that the two of them had some history.

"Seems that the two of you get along pretty fine." Stu said.

"Me and Wide Smile? Yeah. You can say that." Harvey said. "The two of us were college buddies. Had a few of the same classes together, hanged a bit during our free time, was even the best man at his and Frankie's wedding."

"Huh. So you two have been through a lot." Stu said.

Harvey took another sip of his beer before speaking again. "You bet. See, like John, I use to get judged for being an... well... you know. A predator. John and I looked after each other when others wouldn't."

"We kept ourselves the way we were and not gave in to peer pressure." John stated. "You both knew one-day others would see us for more than what we were."

"I see." Stu said understanding.

"But enough about us. Tell me a bit about yourself, Stu." Harvey said to Stu interesting to know a bit about him. "Johnny said you were from Bunnyburrow. What do you do?"

"Uhhhhh..." Stu said in a lost for words. He remembers that John told him not to mention the whole 'farmer' thing. So he didn't what to tell Harvey. "Well... I..."

"Let me guess, farmer?" Harvey asked with a smirk.

Stu didn't say anything, but was surprised that Harvey guesses right.

"How did..." Stu said before getting interrupted by Harvey.

"Your scent and the fact that 80% of bunnies from Bunnyburrow are farmers." Harvey stated still smirking.

"Please. Not so loud." Stu whispered to Harvey. "John told me that others here in the bar aren't too fond of farmers."

"Really? Is that what he told you?" Harvey asked raising an eyebrow.

Hearing that, Stu immediately turned to John and gave him a look.

"You said that the mammals here weren't too fond of farmers, Johnny." Stu said looking mad.

"I say a lot of things. Not all of them are true, but I always have an honest opinion." John said smirking and shrugging. "Just looking out for ya, buddy."

Stu responded by growling angrily at John. He later got over his anger and went back to talking with Harvey.

"So now you know what I do, what is it that you do?" Stu asked Harvey.

"Just a guy who works as a teller for a bank. Nothing special." Harvey said as he takes out his glasses and cleaning them. "The pay's okay. It helps me support the family."

"Oh. You're married?" Stu asked.

"6 years." Harvey said proudly and putting his glasses on. "Even have a 4-year-old boy. We're gonna be having a daughter in soon."

"Really?" John and Stu both said surprised.

"You didn't tell me that. Congrats." John said happily.

"Thanks!" Harvey said with a smile. "So... Johnny, do you have any more little ones planned? With the way you and Frankie are, I'm surprised you don't have as many kits as this guy here."

John started to blush a bit. "It's... it's not a competition." John said flustered. "But... if you must know, recently Frankie and I have been trying again. But we stopped for a while because of us trying to get the plans for Suitopia up. We want to make sure everything works out first."

"I see." Harvey said. "Well, I hope things work out for you."

"They have so far. But I'm not sure how long it will last." John said.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. And if things get rocky, you'll think of something to make it good again." Stu said to John. "That's just the kind of fox you are."

"Just the kind of..." Harvey said before laughing very hardy. "Hahahaha! Johnny, you really must have made this guy turn a total 360 on how he sees things."

"It wasn't easy I tell you that." John said with his arm around Stu's shoulder.

"You make it sound like I was always a bunny that ducks out on everything." Stu said looking a bit ticked at John.

"Well were you?" John asked raising an eyebrow.

"Not 'everything'." Stu admitted. He knows that John helped change his opinion on a lot of things. But it wasn't like he wasn't grateful for it.

"Hahaha!" Harvey laughed before taking another sip of his beer. "See? John has that effect on people."

"Don't need to tell me that." Stu said with a smile.

Stu was getting more comfortable with being around other predators now. Now, what was Frankie and Bonnie up to? Back at the spa, the two moms were just finished getting medi pedis. Now they were just relaxing on some pedicure chairs. Frankie was also enjoying some sparkling water, while Bonnie was having some chocolate bonbons.

"Ahhhh..." Frankie said after sipping her glass of sparkling water. "How are those bonbons, Bonnie?"

"Mmmmm. Heavenly." Bonnie said looking like she was enjoying them.

"You know, our time at this spa is almost up." Frankie to Bonnie.

"Already? The three hours went by so fast." Bonnie said surprised. "I feel that it would have been nice if we had another hour."

"Baby steps, Bonnie." Frankie said. "Don't want you to get too much of the good life."

"I already told you that it's not like there are any spas in Bunnyburrow. I want to enjoy this while I can." Bonnie said boldly.

It wasn't just Bonnie and Frankie who were in the area. There was also a female adult rabbit with white fur in the chair near Bonnie that heard her mention Bunnyburrow. Curious, the white-furred rabbit, spoke out to Bonnie.

"Excuse me?" The rabbit said to get Bonnie and Frankie's attention. "Did you say you were from Bunnyburrow."

"Oh." Bonnie said looking at the rabbit. "Yes I did."

"That's funny... cause I was born in Bunnyburrow." The rabbit said to Bonnie.

"Really?" Bonnie said a bit surprised.

"Small world, huh?" The rabbit said. She then put her right paw out. "I'm Marlene. Marlene Lagora."

"I'm Bonnie. Bonnie Hopps." Bonnie said shaking Marlene's paw. "Over there is my good friend, Frankie Wilde."

"Hello." Frankie said waving.

"Huh. Most bunnies from the Burrows are too scared to go near foxes, let alone to befriend them." Marlene stated. "No offense to your friend."

"Not taking." Frankie said before taking another sip of her sparkling water.

"So... do you live in the city now?" Bonnie asked.

"For a couple of years now." Marlene said. "You?"

"No. Our families have become really good friends and visit each other weekly." Bonnie told her.

"I see. Good to know that foxes and bunnies really can get along." Marlene said with a smile.

"We could have told you that long ago." Frankie said with a smirk.

"So Marlene, why did you move to the city?" Bonnie asked. "Most bunnies from Bunnyburrow usually don't move all the way to the city of Zootopia. You know, cause compare to the burrows, the city is so... overwhelming."

"It's... a long story. Don't know I want to give you ladies all the details." Marlene said as she rubs the left side of her neck.

"We got time." Frankie said.

"Well... alright then." Marlene said willing to tell them her story. "See, when I was little, I wanted to be an architect. I always loved building things. But my parents told me it was too difficult of a profession for a little bunny. So they said I should settle for being a farmer at our family farm. You know, like most of the bunnies there."

"I'm... actually one of those bunnies." Bonnie admitted.

"Figured as much." Marlene said. "Anyway, after a while, I was okay with being a farmer and just doing what most bunnies do. But then..." Marlene ears then drooped down. "... something unexpected happened."

"What?" Bonnie asked.

"My father died." Marlene said to them.

Both Frankie and Bonnie gasped after hearing that. But that's what you would expect to do when you hear someone's father died.

"So sorry." Frankie said as her ears drooped down.

"It's fine. It happen when I was only 8. Still a bit too young to even understand death. But enough to know I was very sad. The same for my 153 siblings... and my mother." Marlene said sadly. "She was completely heartbroken and she had to raise all of us and run the farm... by herself. My siblings and I could always tell how stressful it was for her."

"Of course. I have a lot of kids and know how hard it is to raise them all. But... to do that and run a business alone... I can't imagine." Bonnie said looking sad.

"Timepass and things didn't get better." Marlene said. "Mom couldn't run the business by herself and we were all too young to even help her. So... she had no choice but to sell the farm." Marlene then snapped her fingers. "Just like that, 'settling' wasn't much of an option anymore."

"Makes sense. In Bunnyburrow, there is a lot of other farms. All family owned. No doubt that competition must have been tough." Frankie said.

"It was." Marlene nodded. "All us kids could really do was go to school and hope we could do enough. But most of us had... issues with things."

"Issues?" Bonnie asked.

"Many of us weren't too happy with the way things were." Marlene said. "Most of us were so focused on becoming farmers that once that wasn't an option, we had some choice words for our mother. All she could say was that she was sorry and we had to find our own things, even if it was harder."

Bonnie and Frankie were silent, but they still listened as Marlene went on.

"As much as I wanted to help my family more, all I could really do at the moment was to focus on myself and my schoolwork. Graduated High School and then I was the only one that decided to go to college too, as people would say, find myself. That's when I first headed to Zootopia." Marlene said. "Like you said before, like many bunnies, I was beyond overwhelmed."

"It's still overwhelming for me." Bonnie admitted.

"So after 4 years of college, I decided to follow my dream of becoming an architect. Hard it was, I kept with it." Marlene said. "Soon after, I met a rabbit who helped me out AND... he would later be my husband." Marlene then pointed at her wedding ring.

"Oh. You're married?" Frankie said a bit surprised.

"Can't break all bunny habits." Marlene said with a wink. "Together, my husband, a few other mammals, and I formed Lagora Co. A company for construction and building planning."

"Amazing. So you were able to follow your dream?" Bonnie asked.

"Yep. Couldn't be happier. Well, not including my 3 kids." Marlene said.

"Only 3 kids?" Bonnie and Frankie asked surprised.

"Uh huh. Two boys and a girl. Get this. All of them, different birthdays." Marlene said.

"WHAAAAT?!" Both Bonnie and Frankie shouted out.

Most bunnies don't only have three kids, let alone have them all born on different days.

"How?" Frankie asked very curiously.

"Two words. Self. Control." Marlene answered.

"Hear that, Bon?" Frankie said to Bonnie. "Self-control."

"I know." Bonnie said looking a bit pouty. She then looked back at Marlene. "So, you're okay with the way things are for you?"

"Yes. Yes I am." Marlene said nodding.

"Do you ever miss Bunnyburrow?" Bonnie asked.

"It was where I was born. So... of course, I do." Marlene said. "But my mother is joining my father in heaven now and my brothers and sisters are doing their own things. So... I don't really need to worry about things there."

"I see." Bonnie said. "You're not like other bunnies from the burrows, are you?"

"We can't all be the same." Marlene said shrugging.

"That's true." Frankie said. "Taking risks can be tough, but can also be very rewarding in the end."

"I like the way you think, Frankie Wilde." Marlene said with a smirk.

"Most people do." Frankie said proudly.

"Her husband and son are the same way." Bonnie stated.

"Hahaha! Sounds like you're all mighty nice foxes." Marlene said heartily.

The three ladies were getting along quite well after hearing Marlene story. It's understandable that not everyone is lucky to have what they have. What really matters is what you do with yourself to help you succeed. At that moment, one of the spa workers, a female deer, came over to Marlene with a phone.

"Excuse me? Mrs. Lagora?" The deer said. "There's a phone call for you. They say they are your son."

"I'll take the call." Marlene said before taking the phone and putting it to her ears. "Hello, sweetie. What is it?" "..." "Again?!" Marlene shouted out sounding serious. "Can't you stay out of trouble once?" "..." " "*sigh* I'll be there soon. I would say put your brother on, but I'll deal with him home." "..." " "Okay. See ya at home." Marlene gave the phone back to the deer. She then stood out of her chair. "Well ladies, it's been nice meeting you, but I have to get going. You wouldn't believe how much trouble 3 kids can still cause."

"Consider it a blessing." Bonnie said knowing what she means. But 3 kids is easier than the number of kids she has.

"Hold on." Frankie said as she gets out of her chair and walks to Marlene. "You said you were an architect. See, my husband is a tailor and is trying to open up a new store. One of the things we need help with is mammals to help build the store and..."

"Say no more." Marlene said to Frankie with a paw up. She then picked up a purse from the ground and took out a business card. "Here's my card. If your husband is like you, then I would be more than happy to help."

"Thank you very kindly." Frankie said taking the business card.

"Alright then. See ya, Frankie. See ya, Bonnie." Marlene said to the two.

As she said her goodbyes, Marlene then went on her way. Both Bonnie and Frankie thought that she was quite a nice and unique bunny. Not many bunnies follow their dream jobs. Only the real determine ones. Like Judy. While Bonnie wasn't like that, she did wish she could be more like her daughter. At least for her own sake.

"She was really nice." Frankie said to Bonnie.

"Yeah. She was." Bonnie said agreeing.

Meanwhile, back at Chomps, John, Stu, and Harvey have all just left the bar and are now outside.

"I can't believe you won 3 games of poker in a row, Stu." Harvey said sounding impressed. "Those guys you were going against were real pros."

"Please. If there is one thing I know, it's poker." Stu said proudly.

"For someone like you, you have a surprisingly good poker face." John said to Stu.

"Watch it, John or I'll take you on in a round of poker." Stu said as he bumps John with his elbow.

"Hahaha! I know I don't want that." John said happily.

"Well it's been fun, but I have to head home." Harvey said. "You know how wives can be."

"We know all too well." John and Stu said agreeing with Harvey.

"You take care of yourself, Johnny." Harvey said with his paw out.

John shook Harvey's paw. "Don't be a stranger. Remember, you're always welcome to our store." John said with a smile.

Harvey then put his paw out in front on Stu.

"Nice seeing you again, Stu." Harvey said to Stu."If you're ever in Bunnyburrow, let us know." Stu said as he shook Harvey's paw.

After that, Harvey was then on his way. John and Stu waved goodbye as he did.

"He's such a nice guy." Stu said.

"That's why he's one of my closest friends." John said happily. "Can't believe he's having another baby. Hope he can turn for his new daughter."

"Like me, you know our job as dads. Be there for our kids when they need us. So as long as he does that, he'll be fine." Stu said.

"I agree." John said nodding.

"You know, I was incredibly scared when I first found out about the whole bar being filled with most predators." Stu said.

"Really? I didn't notice." John said sarcastically.

"Yeah yeah. Stu's still a bit of a wimp." Stu said. "Anyway, after today, I think I finally got over my fear of predators. I mean, I sure there are still scary predators out there. But that doesn't mean I should be scared of all of them. In Chomps, all the guys over there were pretty alright."

"So, are you kicking your fear for good?" John asked.

"Yes. Honestly, I'm tired of being afraid of nothing." Stu said to John.

"Yes!" John thought trying not to smirk much.

"So I guess you can say your plan worked." Stu said with a smirk.

Stu saying that caught John off guard.

"Wha... what?" John said like he didn't know anything.

"Don't try it. You're just like your son. Sneaky and always coming up with some plan." Stu stated to John.

"You can't complain about the results." John said shrugging.

"No, I can not." Stu admitted.

"Now, shall we head back?" John asked.

"We shall." Stu said nodding.

After their day at the bar, John and Stu then made their way back to the Wilde House. As they did, Frankie and Bonnie were doing the same. Leaving the spa and riding the bus back to Downtown. Frankie and Bonnie sat beside each other.

"I got to say, I really enjoyed today." Bonnie said to Frankie.

"I did too. Not every day we get to unwind." Frankie said.

"About that, I think I should start doing that more." Bonnie said.

"Really? What makes you think that?" Frankie asked.

"Well, 1: As good as that massage earlier was, it REALLY hurt. Like... A LOT!" Bonnie said firmly. "Can't let stress lead me to that again. And 2: I need to not worry about my children so much. So... I'll still do what I normally do, BUT... I take at least one day a week just for me."

"That seems like a great idea." Frankie said with a smile.

"It's not like most of my kids can't handle themselves anyway. You've seen Judy." Bonnie said to Frankie.

"Judy does tend to march at the beat of her own drum." Frankie said.

"Haha. Don't I know it?" Bonnie said before laughing a bit. "But... it's not a bad thing. I should actually learn from her."

"A parent learning from their child? That's not really a bad thing." Frankie stated.

"I agree. It's not too late for us grown-ups to learn something new." Bonnie said with a smile. "So... in the end, your little plan work."

Frankie had a shocked expression on her face.

"Plan? What plan?" Frankie said as she looked away.

"Heehee. I'll admit bunnies aren't as smart as most foxes, but I'm not dumb." Bonnie said with a smirk. "You're a sneaky one, Frankie."

"I know." Frankie said with a sly smile.

The bus was getting close to their stop, so they pulled on the cord to make the bus stop. The two then got out and walked the rest of the way home.

So John and Frankie's plans for Stu and Bonnie worked like a charm. But it was surprising that they knew about their plans. Guess after hanging out with the Wildes, they picked up on knowing their tricks. But it wasn't a bad thing. The Wildes helped changed who they were and change isn't a bad thing.

 **That's all for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Another chapter will be coming your way really soon. Til then, peace out. Also, there will be more Nick and Judy next time. Promise.**


	32. Chapter 30: Horror Movie Sleepover

**So now we make it to Chapter 30. Aww man. I can't believe I've hit the 30 mark. I seriously didn't think I would do so many chapters, but whatever works. For this chapter, it will be in Bunnyburrow. It will also be the first time all of Nick and Judy's friends go to Bunnyburrow. One thing I remember doing as a kid was meeting up with a bunch of friends, playing video games and watching movies. This is gonna be a big sleepover at Judy's where they watch a few old horror movies. Perfect time since Halloween is around the corner. It's a fun idea that I really wanted to do. Let's begin the chapter.**

 **One more thing. Seems like I've been getting a LOT of suggestions from my readers. While I do like some of them and I was actually already planning to do some suggestions anyway, I can only do so many. That and I already planned this entire story in my head. So don't be upset if I don't do your suggestion. Anyway, on with the chapter.**

* * *

A train from Zootopia goes all the way to its destination, Bunnyburrow. On the train was Nick, his parents, and all of his friends. Benji, Finnick, Flash, Mervin, Falisha, Ronnie, Audran, Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed. As they make it to the train stop, they all got out of the train. Each of them also had luggage with them.

"Bunnyburrow. We made it." Nick said happily.

Nick and his folks have been to Bunnyburrow so many times already. But this is the first time any of Nick's friends have ever been to Bunnyburrow. They all look around and felt that it was quite different from the city. The surrounds, the air. It was quiet and very peaceful.

"So, this is Bunnyburrow." Benji said looking at the fields.

"It's different from Zootopia, yet calming." Falisha said with a smile.

"Looks like a lovely town." Gazelle added.

"*sniff**sniff* The air's quite fresh too." Mervin said after getting a whiff of the air.

"Surprisingly, it smells less of bunnies than I thought." Finnick said. Him saying that immediately got him smacked in the back of the head by Nick. "Oww!" Finnick shouted before rubbing the back of his head where Nick hit him.

"Alright children, we still have a bit of a walk before we get to the Hopps' house." Frankie told the kids. "So be sure to all stay together."

"Yes, Mrs. Wilde." All the kids, except Nick, said to Frankie.

"Okay, mom." Nick said.

After a bit of walking, they all made to the Hopps home. Nick got to the front of the door and did some knocking. Opening the door was Judy herself. She seems really happy to see everyone.

"Hey! You're all here." Judy said with a smile.

"Hey, Judy!" Nick and the other kids all went.

"Come on in." Judy said wanting everyone steps into her house.

Everyone came inside in the and Judy close the door behind them. As expected, the house was three things. Big, loud, and busy. Judy's siblings were walking all over the place.

"Okay Judy, your place is..." Benji said but was stopped by Judy.

"Nick already made the assumptions. I know our place is pretty much like a mansion or apartment complex." Judy said to Benji. "What do you expect when you have a lot of siblings like I do."

"The place is... lively." Falisha said seeing all the bunnies running away.

"Oddly, not that different from my house." Mervin admitted knowing like it's like to have a big family.

"*sniff* There that scent of bunnies I was expected." Finnick said after smelling the scent around the room. This, once again, got him hit by Nick again. "Oww! Stop it!"

John and Frankie walked over to Judy.

"So Jude, where are your folks?" John asked the little bunny.

"Mom and Dad are in the den room." Judy said while pointing in the direction of the hall where the den room was.

"Thank you. We'll leave you kits to catch up." John said to Judy.

So John and Frankie left the kids so they could meet up with Judy's parents and leave them to talk about their plans among themselves. As John and Frankie leave, Nick and Judy's other friends, Gideon, Kyle, Bobby, Sharla, Travis, Gareth, and Libby, all came from the hall. Seems that they were all here for a while.

"Hey! Y'all finally made it." Gideon said greeting the group.

"Gideon! Everyone!" Nick said happily to see his friends. Nick walked over and then bumped fist with Gideon and a few of the other boys. "Great for you to all join us."

"Okay. Is everyone one excited for today?" Judy asked.

Everyone else raised their paws and hooves up and shouted out "Oh yeah!". Flash did too, but a little slower than everyone else. When he finally had his paw up, he said "Oh... yeah." very slowly. What do you expect from a sloth.

Today was another special day planned. Not only that everyone from both Zootopia and Bunnyburrow was here, but they were also gonna do a sleepover at Judy's. Since Judy's house was so big, they all decided it would be best to have the sleepover there instead of Nick's house in Zootopia.

"Carrots, you have everything set up?" Nick asked Judy.

"Yep. Everything's in the room. TV, VCR Player, chairs, and our moms are making the snacks for us." Judy told Nick. "What about you, Nick?"

"Come on. You know me." Nick said with his usual grin. He then took his backpack off and got out some VCR tapes. "I got all the movies we should watch. 3 words. Classic. Horror. Movies."

If it didn't seem like it, Nick LOVED watching classic horror movies from the 30's and 40's. He got into watching horrors movies because of his dad. John would take Frankie on a few dates to watch classic horror films. Nick liked watching the usual monster thriller or zombie invasion type of movies. He prefers the movies in color but doesn't hate the ones in black and white. Heck, the movies that he bought were in black and white.

"Oh yeah. You said you were gonna bring... horror movies." Judy said sounding a bit concern. It might be that Judy's not much of a fan of horror movies like Nick.

"Not just any horror movies. 3 classics." Nick said boldly. He then showed off one of the video cases. It was a scary looking black furred mountain lion with red glowing eyes and his paws up like he was about to attack. Nick said the title of the films in a dramatic matter. " _Pounce of the Demon Mountain Lion_." He then put that case down and shows off the next one. It was a large group of lemmings that looked like green and undead zombies. " _Zombie Lemmings_." He then put that case down and was ready to show off the last one. "Then last but not least." The last case Nick showed was of giant vegetables each with eyes, sharp teeth and looking very demonic. " _Attack of the Killer Vegetables_."

"Dude, all these movies must be as old as our grandparents." Kyle stated looking at the Zombie Lemmings case.

"Killer Vegetables? Seriously? How does THAT even qualify as a horror movie?" Finnick asked sounding unimpressed.

"First off, broccoli is scary on its own." Nick said firmly since he hates broccoli in any form. "Second, these horror movies are old. REALLY old. Compared to the horror movies of today, these shouldn't be scary at all. But they are all still good watches."

"Well... I guess you wouldn't bring them if you didn't like them." Bobby said.

"So, shall we start things up?" Sharla asked.

"Woah woah! WOAH!" Nick shouted out. "It's only 11:30 am. It's waaaaay too early to watch them. We got to wait till the evening. When it's dark... and when we are all in our PJs."

"That's like... hours from now, Slick." Ronnie said.

"What are we suppose to do til then, eh?" Audran asked.

"It's a big house with 278... no wait... 283 residents." Nick said remembering that the number increased with the new siblings born. "I'm sure you can find something to do."

"Oh, that's right. Most of you have only met a couple of my siblings yet." Judy said even if 'couple' was an understatement. "I'll call a few of them over." Judy walked a bit farther and then shouted out "HEY GUYS! NICK AND THE OTHERS FROM ZOOTOPIA ARE HERE!" to any siblings that heard her.

After saying that, the group started to feel the ground shake-up. It caught most, except Judy and Nick, off guard. Nick and Judy were already familiar with this. Down from the halls and the stairs came many of Judy's siblings. Between the ages of 3 and 10. They all pretty much surround Nick and the others.

"Nick's here!"

"Hey, Nick!"

"Oh. He brought others with him."

"Is one of them a hyena?"

"Tigers can have a white coat? Cool!"

Most of the gang felt... overwhelmed by the large number of bunnies eyeballing them. Nick was already used to it.

"Hey. What's up, everyone?" Nick said happily as he waved to the Hopps kids.

"How are you so calm about this?" Falisha asked Nick while still feeling overwhelmed.

"I just am." Nick said shrugging and smirking. "Not my fault Judy's family loves me."

The Hopps family own Nick and his parents a lot. From the visit to helping them change the way they think of things. So it's no surprise that everyone, not just Judy, was fond of having Nick around.

Many of the Hopps kids haven't met the kids from Zootopia. So they never really knew them or even knew what species they were.

"So you're a hyena? Wow. You got a cool hairdo on the top your head." One of the young bunnies said to Mervin.

"Oh. Thank you." Mervin said happily. "I use a lot of gel."

Some of the bunnies surrounded Finnick as well. Poking him and pulling his ears a bit. Finnick looked mad, pouty, and had his arms crossed.

"No one ever told us foxes could be this small." One of Judy's siblings went.

"His ears are so much bigger than ours."

"Keep it together, Finnick. Don't lose it. Don't start biting." Finnick quietly said to himself looking very annoyed. That sight of Judy's sibling messing with Finnick made Judy snickered.

A few other of Judy's siblings were now around Benji. Most of them have never seen a cheetah before. Let alone a cheetah as... _round_ as Benji.

"This one's a big guy."

"He's a cheetah, isn't it?"

"Why is he so fat? I thought cheetahs were fast and skinny."

Some of the things Judy's siblings said may have offended Benji quite a bit. But he didn't want to say anything cause he was too nice to say anything. Finnick notices this and then started to have a wide smirk on his face. Looks like he had something devious planned.

"You wanna know how he got so fat? Cause he ate the little bunnies that were mean to him." Finnick told them with a smirk. "So you better be nice to him."

After Finnick said that, all the Hopps kits around Benji ears drooped and they all slightly stepped back from him. They looked a little scared too. Guess they actually believe Finnick.

"Finn!" Nick shouted out at Finnick, disapproving his actions. He then looked at Judy's scared siblings. "Pay Finnick no mind. Ben here doesn't do that." The Hopps kits all gave out a sigh of relief, believe Nick. Then Nick put on another wide smile. "Or does he?"

Once again, the Hopps kits looked scared. Judy wanted to put an end to that.

"Nick!" Judy shouted out as he lightly pushes the fox. "Quit it, you two."

"Come on. I was just joking, but also looking out from my buddy." Nick said to Judy. He then looks at the Hopps kits again. "For the record, Benji here is one of the nicest guys out there. So don't worry about him."

The little bunnies trusted Nick enough to believe. He can be sneaky, but they all trusted him. That and even they could tell that Benji was a nice guy. Judy and Nick wouldn't be friends with him otherwise.

"Alright everyone, break it up. Give us all some space." Judy said scooting everyone off.

The bunnies all listen to Judy and started to leave, going back to whatever they were previously doing. Nick and the other kids finally had some space. After all the other bunnies dispursed, Judy's brothers, Cole, Conner, Greg, and Eric came over.

"Jeez, thought they would never clear up." Conner said glad that his siblings finally move.

"Hey, guys!" Cole said waving at everyone.

"Cole. Conner. There you two are." Nick said. Nick also notices Greg and Eric. "Hey, Greg. Hey Eric. Feels like it's been a while."

"Hey." Eric said waving at Nick.

Greg didn't say anything. He just walked up to Nick with a serious look on his face. Nick was a bit confused why Greg was looking at him like that.

"Wha... what?" Nick said to Greg.

"Nick. You, me, Zoo Fighter 3." Greg said seriously.

"Again?" Nick said drooping most of his body. "Can't we just play something else?"

"No. I have to beat you at least one." Greg said boldly as he shook his fist.

"Greg, you beat in a few rounds." Nick said.

"But not the whole match. And I only one like 5 of them. OUT OF 75 rounds." Greg stated.

"You counted?" Nick asked looking surprised.

"Of course I did." Greg said firmly.

"Yeesh! Sounds like he really wants to beat Nick." Mervin whispered to some of the others.

"As much as I want to, I brought something else in mind that we should play in mind." Nick said before opening his bag and getting something out. "I recently just got _this game_."

Nick got out a game case that had two wolves on the cover. One black and one white wearing brawler clothes. The title of the game was "Double Fang". For some reason, most of the boys shook with excitement from seeing the game cover.

"DOUBLE FANG?!" Greg, Eric, Cole, Conner, Kyle, Bobby, and Gareth shouted out. "YOU GOT IT?!"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Mervin and Finnick shouted out.

"Nick, you've been holding out on us again." Finnick said bumping Nick with his elbow.

"What's _Double Fang_?" Judy asked not knowing about the game.

"What's Double Fang?!" Nick and some of the other boys said surprised and disappointed that Judy doesn't know anything about it.

"Double Fang is a game about 2 brother wolves that get their younger sister kidnapped by an evil mafia group." Falisha stated. "Now the 2 go out and beat up the mafia members in order to find their sister and take on the mafia boss."

Everyone's attention went to Falisha. They were surprised she knew all that.

"Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I don't play video games like you boys." Falisha said boldly.

"Duly noted." Nick said shrugging.

"Come on. Let's start this up." Eric said taking the game case from Nick.

"Yeah!" Cole and Conner said.

The Hopps boys then were started to make their way out. But then, Greg looked back at the others and notice Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed. Greg stopped running for a moment. He didn't know them, but he had a good idea who they were.

"Is that them?" Greg whispered to Cole and Conner.

"Yeah..." Cole and Conner answered.

Greg then switches to having an angry expression as he glared at Chuck and the other boys. He didn't say anything. He just gave out the "I'm watching you." gesture with his paws. The 5 boys got what he meant and looked a bit frightened. Greg then walked away with the twins. Eric was still there.

"Sorry. My brother's still mad with what you did to Nick." Eric said to the 5 boys.

"It's... totally understandable." Chuck said smiling awkwardly.

Eric expression then changed into a mad one as well. He then pointed at Chuck, Darwin, Phillip, Wilfred, and Ed. Then he pointed at Nick. Then he looked back at Chuck and the other 4 and gave them the neck-cut gesture. So basically, Eric was saying " _If you five do anything to hurt Nick again, it's your head_." Eric then walked away.

The 5 boys all started to have a great chill down their spines. They also did a big gulp. Guess they were scared of the little threats Judy's brothers made.

"I didn't know bunnies could be so scary." Wilfred said shaking a bit.

"Yeah... You five are kinda in enemy territory right now." Nick stated.

"Don't worry too much. I already told everyone everything about you guys." Judy said not wanting Chuck and the others to feel uncomfortable. They felt a bit more relieved... until Judy told them this. "You better sleep with one eye opened."

Those words alone, made Chuck, Darwin, Phillip, Wilfred, and Ed fear for their lives inside this home. They are regretting more and more for muzzling Nick and others. Nick, Judy, and the other kids couldn't help but feel bad for them. Oh well. Can't dig them out of this one.

Hours have passed in the Hopps home and the sun was setting outside. Nick thought that this would be the perfect time to start watching their movies. So everyone went to change into their PJs. They would all meet up in the room Judy set up for them. The room had a TV, VCR, A big couch, a few beanbag chairs, some regular chairs, and a table with food. The room was also big enough to hold quite a lot of them. So far, in the room was Nick, Judy and her 4 brothers, Finnick, Benji, Flash, Mervin, Falisha, Gazelle, Gideon, Bobby, Kyle, Sharla, Gareth, and Libby. Judy had her fox plush with her and Benji had a blue blanket with him. Nick was rapidly tapping his foot on the ground with his arms crossed, waiting for everyone else to show up.

"Where are the others? It's almost time to start." Nick said looking impatience.

"Maybe they got lost." Falisha said.

"I'm... a sloth... and I... got... here... before... most of... them." Flash said.

"This place is muy grande." Gazelle stated. "I got lost a few times."

"It also doesn't help that most of these rooms look the same." Finnick said. Finnick attention then went to Judy and her holding her fox plushie. "Bunny girl, what's with the fox plush?"

"What? A girl can't have a plush toy?" Judy asked Finnick looking a bit flustered.

"It's just that... I don't see a reason to since your 'cuddle fox' is right here." Finnick said while smirking slyly and pointing back at Nick.

Judy and Nick blushed madly and then both of them walked up to Finnick and then, once again, smacked him hard on the back of his head.

"OWWW!" Finnick responded. "Okay, I was asking for that. But seriously, STOP IT!"

"This talk coming from the guy who has an elephant onesie at his house." Nick said smirking.

"Phhhhtt! AHAHAHA!" Mervin laughed loudly. "Seriously?"

Finnick then growled angrily at Nick. "You said you wouldn't tell anyone that." Finnick said to Nick while gritting his teeth. Nick just shrugged like he usually does.

All Finnick hitting aside, most of the group's attention was on the long table of food. From popcorn to pizza, it was quite a spread.

"Wow. This looks like quite the buffet here." Kyle said looking in awe.

"Yep. Our parents set us up with all the food we need for tonight." Judy said with a smile.

"We not only have popcorn, the staple of movie foods, but potato chips, corn chips, juice boxes of 3 different kinds, 5 of my pop's awesome pizzas, and for the health nuts, carrot sticks, and celery."

"Nick, Judy, did any of us ever told you that we love your parents?" Benji asked.

"I don't think so." Nick said pondering it a bit.

"We let me be the one to say that we LOVE your parents." Benji said with a wide smile. Benji was about to dig into some chips, but then his paw was swatted by Judy. "Oww!"

"Not till we start the movie." Judy said waving her finger at the hungry cheetah.

"Awww..." Benji said looking a bit upset.

"The food looks great, but carrot sticks? For real?" Finnick asked giving Judy a look.

"We have my dad's homemade ranch to go with it." Judy stated while pointing at the small bowl of ranch dip.

"Ranch doesn't make it better." Finnick said boldly.

"Alright. Just to prove a point, you may have **1** carrot stick with the ranch." Judy said allowing Finnick to try one.

Finnick decided that he would take Judy's offer and takes one of the carrots stick and dipped it into the ranch. He then took a bite out of the carrot stick and... his eyes widen. The ranch dip to him tasted amazing.

"This... is good. Like, REALLY good." Finnick admitted to Judy. "If you have this ranch with all the carrots you eat, then it's no wonder you bunnies eat them so much."

Finnick was about to dip his carrot stick into the ranch again.

"Don't you dare double dip." Judy said firmly.

"Fine..." Finnick said just eating a carrot plain.

"Okay. No one else gets anything from the..." Nick said not wanting anybody else to pick out food before starting the movie. But he could tell he was a little too late when he sees Bobby taking a slice from one of the pizzas and eating it. "Bobby!" Nick shouted out getting his attention. Bobby slowly pulled a string of cheese from his pizza. "Dude!"

"Sorry." Bobby said mumbling with the piece of pizza in his mouth before swallowing. "The others talked about how good your dad's pizza was and I couldn't help myself."

"*sigh* How is it?" Nick asked curiously on what Bobby thought of it.

"It's awesome." Bobby said enjoying the pizza and taking another bite.

"Okay. NOW, no one else gets _anything else_ from the table until Ronnie and the others are here and we start the movie." Nick said boldly to everyone in that room.

Then at that moment, Ronnie, Audran, and the others finally came into the room. But uhhh... as Ronnie and Audran brought Chuck, Phillip, and the others in, the five of them seem to have ropes around them and looking very frightened. The other kids were a bit surprised by this.

"Sorry, we're a bit late." Ronnie said to everyone.

"We had to save these guys, eh?" Audran told everyone.

"What happened?" Nick and Judy asked concerned the boys well being.

"Judy's little brothers and sisters." Phillip answered them while getting the ropes off of him.

"They got the jump on us. Then they tied us all up and started hitting us with plastic darts and foam noodles." Darwin stated.

Hearing that, everyone's eyes then went to Judy.

"Juuuudddddy, you said you told everyone that they're good now." Nick said to Judy, scowling her a bit.

"I did. Most of them. I have a lot of brothers and sisters. News doesn't always travel to every burrow." Judy stated.

"Some of us still aren't on the forgiven side just yet." Greg stated to them.

"Uh huh." Eric, Cole, and Conner said while nodding.

After Ronnie and Audran helped Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed out with the rest of the ropes. Now they were free from the bondage with an elevated fear of bunnies. But it wasn't like they weren't warned by Judy and the others. Now that it seems that everyone was heard and accounted for, they were all ready to start watching the movie.

"Now that we are all here, we can begin the..." Nick said to all his friends before hearing knocking on the door. "*groan* Who's that?"

Nick walked over to the door looking a bit grouchy. He really wanted to start watching the movie now. He opened up the door to see who it was. He was surprised to see that it was Judy's older brother, Edgar. Still looking emo and still wearing his usual black attire.

"Hey." Edgar said in a monotone.

"Eddy? What are you doing here?" Nick said surprise to see him.

"Heard about you watching some horror flicks. Cool if I join in?" Edgar asked. "Course, it's your call or whatever."

Edgar was the kind of guy who tries not to care about things too much. While it didn't seem like he cares about watching movies with Nick, Judy, and the others, he really wanted to watch classic horror movies with them. Nick could tell. While the movie marathon was for his friends, it didn't mean a few others couldn't watch with them.

"Sure. You can join us." Nick said allowing Edgar to come in. "Come on in."

"Thanks." Edgar said nodding.

Edgar walked into the group and was greeted by all the kids. Including Finnick.

"Oh. It's the bunny with the dark cloud over his head." Finnick said describing Edgar.

"Hey. It's the tiny fox who will only be able to get on the kiddie rides." Edgar said making a comeback.

This wasn't the first time Finnick and Edgar met. This also wasn't the first time they threw witted comments at each other.

"Are you only able to come at night like other vampire bunnies?" Finnick asked making another witty insult.

"Does it bother you that you may only grow another centimeter?" Edgar said continuing the backlashes at each other.

Edgar and Finnick then glared at each other for a few seconds. Next thing you know, the two of them started laughing.

"This guy." Finnick said with a jolly smile.

"I swear, I'm liking this guy more and more." Edgar said actually looking happy.

"I don't know what's scarier. The movies or our brother getting along with Finnick?" Judy said looking a bit disgusted.

"Definitely the second one." Cole and Conner said at the same time.

"Oh. Popcorn." Edgar said looking at their snack table. He then walked over to the bowl of popcorn and took a piece for himself. Edgar had a weird way of eating popcorn. He eats one piece bit by bit, instead of eating multiple pieces.

"Hey! No eating until we start the movie." Nick said firmly at Edgar.

"Who eats popcorn like that? And only one piece at a time?" Benji thought.

"So can we start the movie now?" Gideon asked laying on the beanbag chair.

Just as Gideon said that more knocking came from the door. Everyone pretty much groaned. They all really wanted to just start the movie.

"Who's at the door now?" Nick asked looking a bit peeved.

Once again, Nick opened the door to find out it was a few more of Judy's brothers and sisters. About 20 or so of them. Three of the siblings included Daisy, August, and Wendy.

"Daisy? Auggie? Wendy? The rest of you guys? What are you guys all doing here?" Nick asked surprised to see all the little bunnies.

"Nicky, we heard you were doing a movie party and we wanted to join in." Daisy said with a smile.

"Most of us haven't watched horror movies before. So it would be a nice experience." Wendy said while fixing her glasses.

"*sniff* *sniff* Ooooh! Do I smell pizza?" August asked smelling the aroma from the room.

In only two seconds, all the bunnies outside the room made their way into the room. Whether it was sitting on the couch or eating some of the food from the table, they were doing their usual bunny chaos. Nick and Judy were really starting to lose their patience.

"Hey! No food till the movie!" Judy shouted out to her siblings.

Nick then quickly slammed the door.

"Okay. This is EVERYONE who gonna be in this room tonight. Anyone else who knocks, don't care. Too bad, so sad." Nick said sounding quite angrily and. "Carrots, movie in VCR. Now."

"On it." Judy said picking up the _Pounce of the Demon Mountain Lion_ tape and put it into the VCR slot. She then pressed play.

"Finally..." Nick said sounding calm again and flicking the room's light switch. He then sat the down couch beside Judy and Benji.

"Jeez! You okay? You got a little peeved there." Judy asked concern for Nick.

"Sorry. Really wanted to get the movie started." Nick said sounding apologetic and scratching the back of his neck. "Also a bit hungry."

Bobby then offered Nick a slice of pizza on a paper plate. "Pizza?"

Nick takes the pizza slice that Bobby offers him. "Thanks." Nick says to Bobby before taking a bite out of the pizza. "So Carrots, which movie you put in?"

" _Pounce of the Demon Mountain Lion_." Judy said.

"Good choice." Nick said while raising his pizza slice.

"What's the movie about?" Sharla asked.

"A group of campers goes out to a mountain they weren't supposed to go to." Nick stated. "Even with all the warnings they get, they pay no attention to them. You can tell where that's gonna lead to."

"Oh boy... I think I know what that means." Finnick said taking a wild guess what would happen.

"Uhhh... are there gonna be deaths in this movie?" Daisy asked.

"There are deaths in ALL the movies." Nick stated.

"What?" Daisy said looking a bit frightened.

"Oh please. These are movies from the 30's. Can't be any worse than the stuff we see on TV." Mervin stated.

"He's right. Have you **seen** some of the villain deaths G-rated movies?" Judy asked. "From falling off cliffs, to being crushed by rocks, to waterfalls with jagged rocks, and to pits of fire, you got to admit that all of those are PRETTY graphic."

Everyone nodded and agreed with Judy. In the times they were in today, even movies appropriate for all ages can still be quite scary with the ways they 'off' the villains.

Gazelle then got the attention of everyone by saying "Shhhhhhh. The movie's starting."

The kids all had their eyes on the tv screen as the title of the movie appeared. Everyone sat down with snacks in paw and hoof. As Nick mention, the movie was in black and white. They see a group of different species campers, about 8 of them, drive up to the mountains. They stop when they see a sign that says "DANGER! DO NOT ENTER!" in big letters.

 _"Danger. Do not enter? Then should we go somewhere else?" A sincere female voice went._

"See? SHE has common sense." Falisha said to everyone.

 _"Come on. What do we got to be scared of. After all, I'm here." A jocky male went._

"Clearly, that's the big jock who acts like he isn't scared, but later is the one weeping and the one who gets 'offed' later." Finnick said.

"Not giving any spoilers." Nick said.

As the kids continued to watch the movie, things started to escalate. During the parts where the campers were starting to get a loud voice warning them to leave. Cause, most of them were too dumb to heed the words. Which led to the next thing to happen. The Demon Mountain Lion pouncing. A few of the Hopps kids were frightened, but most of the other kids weren't too fazed.

"Why did they not listen and ran away when they had the chance?" Gazelle asked.

"That's how horror movies work. The characters in them are oblivious." Nick stated. "They panic and run when it's too late to do it."

"I knew they would off the jock first." Finnick said before sipping a bit of juice.

"Ye... yeah. But... it's... it's not like he didn't have it coming." Eric said shivering a bit.

The movie went on for another couple of minutes which led to the death of demon mountain lion and only one of the campers surviving. A deer. As she left the mountain, she made sure that no one comes here again. So they won't have to experience what she did. The last scene of the movie was the seemingly dead body of the demon slightly moving its paw. Guess it wasn't as dead as people thought it was. The movie then fades to black and the letters "The End?" appeared. Some of the kids seem relieved that it was over.

"Aww man! For an old movie, that was a slaughter fest." Mervin said. "The part when the demon went for the couple, I nearly jumped out my seat."

"Yeah. But what about the ending?" Ronnie asked. "He moved at the end. So was there a sequel?"

"No sequel, to my knowledge." Nick to Ronnie. "But it was still a good watch like I said." He then turns to Judy. "Right, Judy?"

Nick looked at Judy who seemed a bit... frozen in fear. Her nose didn't twitch, but her ears were drooped down. Nick then tried to get Judy's attention again.

"Carrots!" Nick shouted out.

"Huh?" Judy said getting out of her trance. "What?"

"What did you think of the movie?" Nick asked his bunny friend.

"Oh. Ummm... I found the movie was... _different_ from what I usually watch." Judy told him.

"Sounds like Bunny Girl was scared." Finnick said lodging on the beanbag chair with a smirk.

"I WAS NOT." Judy said looking mad.

Judy didn't want to admit it, but she was scared. Mostly because her parents have never really let any of them watch horror movies up until now. The only reason why is because of Stu and Bonnie's relationship with John and Frankie. As long as the movies weren't too scary, they were okay with it. But old or not, Judy couldn't help but think some of the parts were... frightful.

"Come on. Start the next movie." Judy said firmly.

"Okay. Okay." Finnick getting out from his beanbag chair and not wanting to get Judy madder than she already was. He pushed the eject button on the VCR and pull out the tape. Finnick then put in the "Zombie Lemmings" tape in next. After that, he made his way back to his beanbag chair.

"Be sure to rewind the tape later." Nick said to Finnick.

"I know. I'll do it tomorrow." Finnick said.

"So, what's the next tape you put in?" Audran asked Finnick.

"Zombie Lemmings." Finnick said holding the case up.

"So the zombies in this movie are... lemmings?" Gazelle asked.

"Aren't lemmings... small? And kinda adorable? How do you do a horror movie with that?" Daisy asked feeling that the idea was off.

"It was the 30's. They had a horror movie for everything." Greg stated.

"More or less." Falisha said.

"Either way, I doubt this movie will be scary." Judy said looking brave.

Judy was wrong. Even for an old movie, it was still quite... horrifying. The movie was about... well, Zombie Lemmings. A large group of Lemmings that are also Zombies that go off attack mammals big and small. Even with them being tiny, they could take down the biggest of mammals. So... there were a lot of victims. A LOT of victims.

 _"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_ Screamed someone from the TV.

"This is... a bit surprising." Gazelle said feeling that the movie was scarier than she thought.

"Meh. You can still tell it's fake." Finnick said before eating some more popcorn.

"Quick question, why aren't the people turning into Zombies themselves? Shouldn't they be turning into zombies after getting a scratch or bitten?" Ronnie said.

"Two reasons for that." Edgar said. "One, the lemmings go for the vital parts of the body and since they attack in groups, they kill their victims before they can turn. OR... the movie writers don't know the basics of zombie rules."

"Laaaame." Mervin said looking disappointed.

"Well, this was around the time when zombie movies were a thing. So it makes sense that they didn't have all the zombie rules yet." Nick stated.

They continued to watch more of the movie until it reached the ending. The hero of the movie does something unexpected... or in this case, expected. Leading the zombie lemmings to a cliff and letting them jump off it. Zombie lemmings fall down a high cliff. No more zombies. After that, the movie faded to black and said "The End" in white letters. The movie left a few impressions on the kids.

"Well, this movie goes to show us that no matter big or small, any mammal can be deadly." Nick stated to everyone.

"Yeah. I might be needing to add 'zombie lemmings' to my list of fears." Chuck said firmly.

"My mom's not on that list, is she?" Nick asked.

"She's... uh... on the top of that list." Chuck admitted. "Sorry."

Nick waited a few seconds before responding to Chuck. "Wise choice."

Finnick then got out of his beanbag chair and hit the eject button on the VCR. "Okay. Let's put in this last movie." Finnick then put in the last movie they had to watch. " _Attack of the Killer Vegetables_." Finnick said. "I got to be honest, this sounds like the least scary movie ever."

"He's right. It sounds totally lame." Greg said not sounding impressed.

"Yeah. The last two movies weren't scary at all. So I doubt this will even come close to being scary." Judy said boldly.

Even if the truth of the matter was that Judy was scared of both movies. But she wasn't worried much about this last movie. I mean, her family is full of farmers and she sees and eats vegetables on a daily basis. What did she have to fear?

About halfway in, she realized that she was wrong... again. So the movie was about some bunny farmer that was also a scientist at the side. He develops a formula to help his vegetables grow big and strong. Problem was that it also turned them into living creatures. From killer carrots to demonic lettuce heads, it was a garden of evil veggies. This was also taking place in a town similar to Bunnyburrow. So most of the people attacked by the vegetables were... bunnies. Even with the movie just using giant puppets and guys in suits, the idea of killer vegetables did scare a few of the Hopps kids. Even to stop eating the carrot sticks they had left over.

"I know this is just a movie, but... wow..." Phillip said awkwardly.

"Why are the people getting attacked in this movie mostly bunnies?" Eric asked feeling that it's awkward that his species is getting the short end of the stick.

"Probably cause the writer wanted the movie to symbolize something." Edgar said.

"Symbolize what?" Conner asked.

"Think about it. The movie takes place in a town similar to Bunnyburrow. Most of the victims are rabbits. The cause of this whole problem was a farmer. It's basically showing how what we do can lead to our own downfall. Which not only causes the destruction of some of the race but also the **whole** race to face its possible demise." Edgar stated in a creepy matter.

Everyone silently stared at Edgar and anyone close to him slowly backed away.

"Man, what did life do to you?" Gideon asked Edgar really concerned.

"So many things, Gideon. So... many... things." Edgar answered.

Awkward response aside, the kids continued to watch the movie to the end. The ending was the main farmer and other farmers having torches and burning down all the killer vegetables. In a way, the problem was solved. The movie then faded to black and that was it. The kids finish watching all their flicks. Nick then hit the eject button and took the tape out of the VCR.

"Alright. That's all the movies." Nick said.

"Thank goodness." Daisy said getting up. "I'm going to bed. Hopefully, I won't have nightmares."

"Meh. You'll be fine. Me, not so much." August said. "Might stop eating carrots for a few weeks."

With that, most of the Hopps kids got up and made their way out of the room and to their bedrooms. This even included the twin, Greg, and Eric. They all said goodnight to everyone. Edgar was the last out the door.

"Thanks for tonight. It's was quite informative." Edgar said to everyone. "Night. Don't let evil veggies take you away and eat you."

"Not funny, Edgar." Judy said holding her fox plush tightly.

Edgar just went "Heh!" before leaving and closing the door. So now it was just Nick, Judy, and their usual friends.

"*yawn* We should prolly hit the hay as well." Nick suggested looking tired.

"How come we have to sleep in sleeping bags and not beds? Your family couldn't get enough beds?" Finnick asked a bit angry.

"It's not like the beds could hold most of us." Ronnie said admitting that bunny beds could be too small for a bear, hippos, or other big mammals.

"Besides, this is a sleepover. Nothing beats sleeping over in a sleeping bag, eh?" Audran said rolling out his bag.

"That... and we got to wake up at 6:30 if you all want to have breakfast." Judy stated.

"6:30?!" Nearly everyone shouted out. Even Flash, but very slowly.

"What is your family, bunny girl? A bunch of..." Finnick said before getting interrupted by Nick and Judy.

"Yes, they're farmers." Nick and Judy said implying that they ARE farmers.

"I said the same thing myself." Nick said to Finnick. "Plus you want to wake up early. Mom and Mrs. Hopps are making blueberry pancakes."

"Slick, not everyone is gonna is swayed by blueberry pancakes like you." Finnick said crossing his arms.

Everyone else silently looked at each other before speaking out.

"I... like blueberry pancakes." Benji said.

"Me too." Falisha said.

"Ditto." Mervin said.

"I eat them once a week." Gazelle said.

"... I... like them too." Finnick admitted. "Bedtime."

"Right." Everyone said agreeing.

So the kids all got into their sleeping bags and called it a night. In the middle of it, Judy was twisting and turning in her sleeping bag. It was like she was having a nightmare. The twisting and turning didn't get unnoticed. Nick was beside Judy and woke up. Nick looked at Judy and saw that her nose was twitching. This usually applied that she was scared. Worried about his friend, Nick lightly shook Judy head hoping to wake her up.

"Carrots." Nick whispered to Judy.

Judy lightly opened up her eyes and looked at Nick. She didn't say anything and neither did Nick. Nick just pointed at the door implying that they should talk outside the room. Judy nodded and agreed to talk to him. They got out off their sleeping bags and quietly walked, trying not to wake up everyone else who was still snoozing. After quietly leaving the room, the two talked in the hallway. Still being sure to stay quiet.

"Is anything wrong, Judy?" Nick asked.

"Me? I'm fine. Never better." Judy said in a tone that sounds like she was lying.

"You sure? Cause your nose was twitching. And we both know what that means." Nick stated.

Judy responded by drooping her ears and covering her nose with her paws.

"Judy, it's okay if you were scared of the movies." Nick said to Judy.

"Why would I be scared of some stupid horror movies that weren't even that bad." Judy asked as she rubs her ears.

"Carrots, if you can't be honest with me, who can you be honest with?" Nick asked.

Judy took one look at Nick's emerald eyes and pretty much froze up. She knew that she couldn't really lie to Nick. She also knew that Nick was right. Nick is the one person she can truly be honest with.

"*sigh* Okay. I may have been a tiny bit scared of the movies." Judy admitted. "Stupid right. How can I be scared of some old movies? My play was more violent than that."

"Ehhhh..." Nick said giving a 'more or less' gesture.

"Point is..." Judy said having enough of Nick's criticism. "... I can't be scared of something like that. Not if I ever want to be a cop."

Seems like Judy was afraid of more than just the movie.

"It's okay to admit you're scared. Everyone's scared of something." Nick told her. "Being scared is how you know you're alive. That's what horror movies are all about." Nick then went a little closer to Judy. "It doesn't matter if we're scared, but that is when we overcome our fears. That's how we become lesser scare at can handle the big things."

"Makes sense." Judy said.

"Course it does." Nick said. "I hope it does."

"It does. I'll have to face my fears if I want to overcome them. Even the hard ones." Judy said sounding like her usual confident self.

"There's the Judy I know." Nick said with a smile. Then something came to Nick's mind. "Say Carrots, can I ask you something?" Nick then started to rub his arm a bit. "The first time we met, were you... ever afraid of me? Even a bit?"

"Maybe only for 2 seconds. But that was because I was still on mom and dad's talk on 'All foxes are bad.'." Judy admitted. She then held Nick's paw. "But then I took one look at your eyes, held your paw, and thought 'I don't have a reason to fear this fox.'. Nick, like I told you before, I'll never be afraid of you."

Nick started having that warm feeling in his chest again.

"Thanks, Judy." Nick said with a smile. "You know you can always count on me. I am your _cuddle fox_ , after all."

What did Nick just say? After hearing those words from his mouth, Nick quickly regretting saying those exact words. Both him and Judy were blushing quite a bit.

"I mean, I didn't mean it like THAT." Nick said frantically. "What I really mean is _I'm you fox_." That didn't sound any better. Nick was mentally kicking himself right now. He was pretty much saying he was the one for Judy. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea. "I'm mean, what I'm trying to say is..."

Before Nick could say anything else, Judy just hugged him.

"Nick, shut up." Judy said. It was her way of saying he didn't need to say anything else.

Nick just smiled and hugged her back. After about 4 seconds, the two break up their hug.

"Alright. Let's get to bed." Nick said to Judy. "Don't want to miss out on breakfast."

"Yeah. I know how you are when it comes to blueberries." Judy said bumping Nick's side.

Without saying anything else, they headed back into the room and slowly went into their sleeping bag to catch some rest. Nick pretty much fell asleep right away, but it took Judy a bit longer. He got out her fox plush again and remember the reason she got it. It was because it reminded her of Nick. In a way, while Judy didn't want to admit it out loud, Nick was indeed her _cuddle fox_. She knew that he would always be there for her. She happily held her plush tightly and slowly drifted to sleep. Nightmare free.

 **That's all for this chapter. Hoped you liked this chapter. Still more to come. Maybe even some huge drama in the near future chapters. Until then.**


	33. Chapter 31: Heroes and Understandings

**Here's Chapter 31, let's get it done. Hey, ya'll. It's your boy, Diz here. With another new chapter of everyone's favorite fluff fic. Not too long ago, I remember someone suggesting that the kids should come up with their own superheroes. Now originally, I didn't feel like doing the idea. But recently, the new South Park game, Fractured but Whole, came out. (Yes. I'm a fan of South Park.) So I thought, why not use a similar concept. Now, the superhero thing isn't the main thing in this chapter. The main focus is on Judy and Falisha. As well as some of the other girls. Falisha is one of the only main characters that I haven't really given out a backstory for yet. So now's a perfect time. Also, I wanted to do more with the girls. Especially Judy. I mean she IS just as important as Nick in this story. Got to give her some love too. Alright, let's get this new chapter going.**

* * *

It was another day where the kids were hanging out together in Zootopia. There was no meeting today. They all just wanted to hang out. At Nick's house, in the living room was Nick, Judy, Benji, Finnick, Gideon, Mervin, Ronnie, Audran, Bobby, Kyle, Gazelle, Falisha, and Sharla. The boys all grouped up together and were reading a bunch of comic books they had piled on the floor. Nick was currently reading an issue of 'Hood'.

"Man, you guys have got to read this new issue of _Hood_." Nick said to his friends while still holding the comic. "The best part was when he used his flash arrows to..."

"Spoilers!" Kyle said while covering his ears. "Don't say anything before we get a chance to read it yet.."

"Sorry. My bad." Nick said to Kyle.

"If there's any comic you need to read, it's the new ' _Z-Force'._ " Mervin stated to his friends.

"I was gonna ask if I could read that next." Bobby said looking eager. He then had one of his paws out. "Can you pass me it?"

One thing all the boys love to do was read comic books. It was something about superheroes taking on super villains that filled the boys with excitement to read them. But what boys at their age didn't love reading comic books? The girls, however...

While Judy, Falisha, Gazelle, and Sharla didn't hate comic books, they weren't into them like the boys were. The girls were just playing cards as they leave the boys to their 'literature'.

"Got any 6s?" Judy asked Sharla while holding her cards.

"Go fish." Sharla replied.

Judy picks up a card from the deck. As Judy did that, she hard a bored look on her face. The two of them must have been playing cards for a while. Judy then tossed her cards in the air.

"Uggh! Bored now." Judy stated.

"Judy! I was about to win." Gazelle said sounding confident that would be the case.

"I don't want to play 'Go Fish' anymore. Can't we do something else?" Judy pleaded. "The boys are too into their comics and I want us to go out somewhere."

"I got to agree with Judy." Sharla said putting her cards down. "I mean, we're in Zootopia and all we are doing is playing cards. It's not every day I come to Zootopia."

"Do you know any places we can go, Falisha?" Gazelle asked the white tiger. "You should know the city better than any of us."

"Someplace we could go. Hmmmmm..." Falisha said as she put her paw on her chin as she ponders where to go. After looking at the boys reading, she had something that came to mind. "Well, the boys seem to be into their ready. How about we do some reading ourselves and head to the library? It's not that far from here."

"The library? Well, I do like to read. I also wouldn't mind checking out what a library in the city of Zootopia's like." Judy said sounding interested.

"I'd like to know that too." Sharla said.

"Same for me." Gazelle said eager.

"Then it's settled." Falisha said as she gets up from the floor. The other girls did the same. "We're going to the library. Let's head there now."

"Alright. We should tell the boys first." Judy said.

The other girls nodded, agreeing with Judy on alerting the boys. Judy, Falisha, Sharla, and Gazelle all walked up to the boys, who were all still reading their comics.

"Hey, boys..." Judy said to them, getting their attention. "We're heading to the library if any of you guys are interested."

"Pass." Nick replied. He then waved one of his comics up in the air. "We got all the reading we need right here."

"We can see that." Judy said looking unamused. "*sigh* You know you could read other books besides comic books, right?"

"Hey! Super Hero comics are some of the **best** reads in the whole world." Bobby said firmly and boldly.

"They interest readers like us with their epic backstory and intense conflicts." Kyle stated.

"But we guess girls like you wouldn't understand." Finnick said while crossing his arms.

"Hmpt! Well maybe if you make a comic like that, maybe we could understand." Falisha said with a hint of smug. "Come on, ladies. Let's go."

"Uh huh." Judy, Gazelle, and Sharla said.

With that, the girls left the room, leaving the boys to their comics. But as they left, a thought came into Nick's mind. It was Falisha's words about them making their own comic. It kinda lit some sparks in his head and he stood up from the ground.

"Dudes, we should totally do that." Nick said to all the guys.

"We should go to the library with the girls?" Benji asked raising his eyebrow.

"No. We should make our own superhero comic." Nick said boldly.

"Huh?" Everyone else said in confusion.

"I mean, why not?" Nick said while shrugging. "There are a lot of cool superheroes out there. Why shouldn't we try to create our owns?"

"That sounds like a cool idea." Benji said with a smile.

"Yeah. Sounds awesome." Kyle said agreeing.

"Meh. I don't know. It sounds like too much work." Finnick stated. "I mean there's the characters, superpowers, backstory. It's a lot to do."

Finnick didn't seem all for the idea. But it's a good thing Nick's such a good persuader and he knows what to say to get Finnick to agree.

"Hmm. Say Fiiiiiinn? Do you know what happens when a person makes a great superhero?" Nick asked. "They get a bunch of comics, a huge fanbase, even good enough to have a cartoon and movies. But the best part is... the creators make a whole lot of _moolah_."

Nick knew if he just had to mention money and Finnick would be all for it. Finnick's weakness has always been cold hard cash and today was no different.

"Let's get started." Finnick said sounding eager.

"I get some paper, pencils, and crayons." Nick said dashing off to his room. "This is gonna be awesome. Our own team of superheroes."

As the boys were about to work on their superheroes, let's see what the girls are up to. After some walking, Judy, Falisha, Gazelle, and Sharla made it to the Downtown Zootopia Library. In Zootopia, there are many libraries and at least one is in every district. Even Little Rodentia. The Downtown Library was like any regular library. Big enough for any species to go in. The girls all were at the front of the building.

"Here we are." Falisha said to everyone else.

"So... this is the library." Judy said as she gazes at the building.

"Looks bigger than the library back home." Sharla stated.

"No offense, but besides houses, everything's bigger in Zootopia." Falisha stated. "Now let's head in, shall we?"

"Alright." Judy, Gazelle, and Sharla all said nodding.

The girls go up the stairway and head to the library's glass door and went inside. The inside of the library was even more impressive than Judy thought it would be. The library had thousands and thousands of books available to the public. Like many other libraries, they had different genres of books and a quiet atmosphere.

"Remember, this is a library. So be sure to be quiet." Falisha said to the others in a quiet matter.

"We know." Judy responded be quiet as well. "This IS a library after all."

Passing the front counter, the girls then started to gaze at some of the bookshelves and all the books they contained.

"So girls, what would you say your favorite kinds of books are?" Falisha asked.

"Favorite kinds?" Judy said before pondering it. "Umm... well... I like to read any books with a suspense and action. Oh. And I also started reading law books. You know, for when I become a police officer."

"That seems like you." Falisha said to Judy.

"I like reading books with musica y baile. Music and dancing. Also, anything about the history and cultures of the other parts of the worlds." Gazelle said.

"Since I want to be an astronaut, I like to read about astronomy. You know, about space and the stars." Sharla said.

"Hmm. Sounds like you all read quite a bit." Falisha said with a smile.

"What about you, Fal? What do you like to read?" Judy asked.

"I tend to be mixed when it comes to reading." Falisha stated. "Sometimes I just read a regular storybook, sometimes I read a history book. I also recently got into chapter books about mysteries. The current one I'm reading has kept me in suspense with each chapter."

"Sounds like you read quite a bit yourself." Sharla said to the white tiger.

"Unlike the boys, I actually read things besides comics." Falisha said proudly.

As Falisha went on about things, someone came from behind her.

"Falisha?" A slightly mature girl sounding voice went.

Falisha turned around to see who it was. It was a female white tiger around the age of 17 and 18. She had a white button shirt on and blue jeans and carrying a few books in her arms. Oddly enough, this teenager looked a lot like Falisha herself.

"Sis!" Falisha said sounding surprised, but also still trying to sound quite.

"Sis? Wait. She's your sister?" Judy asked looking surprised.

"I already told you about her, didn't I?" Falisha asked Judy. "Girls, this is Lola. My older sister."

"Hello." Lola said with a smile and lightly waving.

So this teenager white tiger was Falisha older sister, Lola. Judy recalled that Falisha did tell her about her sister. But this was the first time she has actually met her. From what the girls can see, Lola seemed nice enough.

"Nice to meet ya, Lola. I'm Judy." Judy said introducing herself. "Behind me is Sharla and Gazelle."

"Judy?" Lola said as she tilted her head a bit. She then looked at Falisha. "Falisha, is this your bunny friend who has the crush on that fox friend of yours?"

"Lola!" Falisha quietly shouted while making a cut gesture basically saying 'Don't mention that to her.'.

"WHAT?!" Judy shouted out starting to blush a bit.

"Shhhhhhh..." Some of the mammals in the library went. A sign that Judy needed to be quiet.

"Sorry." Judy quietly said to anyone who could hear her. She then put her focus back on Falisha's sister and boldly spoke. "I... I do NOT have a crush on Nick."

"Hmm." Lola went before leaning down to Judy's eye level. Lola looks at certain parts of Judy's body. Judy's right foot was tapping on the ground rapidly, her paws were fidgety, her ears were drooped down, and her eye shifted view away from looking at Lola. "Just by looking at your reaction to that, I can see that's not entirely true. Tapping foot, fidgety paws, your eyes looking away, they are all your _tells_. So I can say this. You would only be acting like that for one of two reasons. Either you do have a crush on him OR you are completely unsure about your feelings due to your young age and the fact you two are different species."

Judy didn't know how to respond to that. So she didn't. She just had an awkward look on her slightly red face.

"Heehee. Sounds like sis hit some points." Falisha said with a sly smile.

"If you're gonna be a defense attorney, you need to have a good eye for these kinda things." Lola said proudly.

"Oh. That's right. Falisha said that she wanted to be a defense lawyer." Judy thought. Judy also looked at the books around Lola's arms. Looking at the titles, they were all law books. "Guess that also explains the books."

"By the way, Fal, what brings you and your friends here?" Lola asked. "Did you actually came here to study?"

"Not exactly, sis. I came to show the girls around the library." Falisha said. "I'm assuming you came here to study like you always do."

"Of course. I have to stay ahead of the game. It's the only way I can get into a good college." Lola stated to her sister.

"You're always studying, sis. You know, it's would be good for yourself if you actually do something besides studying." Falisha said to her sister.

"Getting to college is just around the corner for me. I don't have time to run around and play games like you and your friends here." Lola said sounding a bit serious. "Once you get to my age, you will understand that."

Lola's words made Falisha flinch a bit. "Ye... yes. I know, sis." Falisha said looking a bit sad.

"Alright. I'm gonna go study. You and your girlfriends here can do as you please. So long as it's quite." Lola said to Falisha.

"Okay, sis." Falisha said still looking sad.

So with that, Lola went off. As she did, Judy and the other girls looked at Falisha who seemed a bit depressed.

"*sigh* Guess I can't expect her to be any different." Falisha quietly said to herself.

"You okay, Falisha?" Judy asked looking concerned.

"I'm fine. Let's just move on." Falisha said in a bit of monotone.

"Are you su..." Judy said still concerned.

"I said I'm fine." Falisha said sounding more serious. She then started walking. "Now come on. We all came to look at some books, right?"

As Falisha walked off, Judy and the other girls were concerned. It was clear that something was up with Falisha. And most likely, it had something to do with her sister. They wanted to talk to her about it, but it didn't seem like the right time. So they all kept their mouths shut and followed Falisha for now.

Meanwhile, Nick and the boys had just finished making their personal superheroes. Each of the boys decided to base their superheroes on themselves and give them powers of their own choosing.

"Alright. Are you guys done?" Nick asked his pals.

"Uh huh." Everyone else said putting down their pencils and crayons.

"Great! Check out my character." Nick said as he lifted up his drawing for everyone to see. It was a drawing of an adult fox in a red costume. The fox had on a red mask, a suit with crimson flames, and a cape. He also had a fireball coming from the palm of his paw. "My guy is called _Foxfire_. His superpower is using fire. He can shoot fireballs, use his fire like a rocket to fly, and even control heats almost hot as the sun."

"A fire superhero? Nice." Finnick said liking Nick's idea. "Here's mine." Finnick showed his drawing on a fennec fox with a desert sand colored costume and flexing his muscle, which shouldn't be the case for a fennec fox. " _The Breaker_! He has the can not only strong enough to break boulders but can also grow up to 30ft in size."

"A strong fennec that can also grow big? Laying it a little thick there, eh Finn?" Nick said not too impressed.

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with picking a power that makes you bigger in size. It's not like I'm the first." Finnick stated boldly.

"Fair enough." Nick said shrugging.

Mervin was next to show off his character. A drawing of a hyena wearing tribal attire, a hood, and a black mask. "Here's my guy. I call him _The Howler_. He has the ability to use supersonic howls that could shatter even mountains. He also has incredible fighting skills and enhanced senses." Mervin said.

"Nice." Nick said liking Mervin's superhero.

"Ehh. _The Howler_ sounds more like a 'wolf' superhero name than a hyena." Benji stated.

"But it shows originality. So I'll allow it." Nick said.

"Thanks." Mervin said with a smile.

"Yeah. Well, Mervin's hero is cool and all, but check out mine." Ronnie said confidently. He then showed off his drawing. His hero was a bear with robot parts all over his body. "I call him _Cy-Bear_. Half-Robot, Half-Bear. He has a cybernetic eye, jetpack, super strength, durability, and the best thing ever. Rocket paws for Super Rocket Punches." Ronnie then imitated him shooting his paws out while making "Whoooosh!" sounds.

"Cool. Rocket punches are always awesome." Nick said to Ronnie. Nick then looks at Benji. "Benji, what's your superhero? Not trying to be hyper-critical or being a stereotype, but we could use a speed guy."

"Well, it wasn't like I wasn't planning to have a hero with super speed anyway." Benji said to Nick. He then shows off his drawing. It was of a slim cheetah in a blue speed suit with lightning bolts and a blue mask over his head. "My hero is called _Speedvolt_. He's not just _cheetah_ fast, he's _lightning_ fast. The fastest mammal in the world. He moves so fast that a second could be like minutes to him. His speed can also conduct lightning bolts."

"So speed and lightning." Finnick said responding to Benji's hero and his powers.

"Most lightning power heroes also have speed on their roster. So I'll allow it." Nick said. "Alright, who's next to show their hero?"

"Me! Definitely me!" Bobby said looking eager. Bobby then showed off his drawing. It was a cougar wearing a grey superhero suit with a music note on its chest. He also wore a hood over his head that covered his face. He also seems to have mini speakers in the palm of his paws. "I give you, _Speakerbox_. His power is music. Depending on how he uses it, he can boost the power of his allies and weaken the power of his foes. He can also summon powerful instruments like a guitar and a drumset to attack his enemies with phat beats."

"So basically, your hero's a one-man band and uses music." Ronnie said.

"That is totally awesome." Nick said liking Bobby's idea for a hero. "You also said Speakerbox can play music to boost the morale of his allies. That shows he's a team player. I approve."

"Alright. I'm next, eh?" Audran said wanting to show his drawing. Compared to the others, his had the best art style. His superhero was a moose with steel antelope wearing a iron helmet. He also seems to have a steel battle armor. "I call him _Iron Antler_. With antlers as strong as iron. He can use them to even push back moving trucks."

"Cool." Nick said.

"How come his drawing is so much better than ours?" Finnick though.

"Not bad. Even though _your_ antlers are still pretty nubs." Ronnie said while patting Audran on his head near his nub antlers.

"Hey!" Audran said moving Ronnie's paw away from his head. "They're still growing. Just wait, eh? When my antlers grow, they are gonna be awesome."

"Sure they will, buddy." Ronnie said with a hint of smug.

"Alright Giddy, whatcha got?" Nick said wanted to know what his hero was.

"Very well, City Boy. Take a gander at this." Gideon said eagerly. He then showed off his drawing. It was a drawing of a slighty muscular fox in a black and blue superhero suit, a blue mask, and a giant metal gauntlet on his right arm. "My guy's name is _Major Impact_. He has a giant gauntlet that could tear about anything and strike harder than an speeding train."

"That's pretty cool." Nick said.

"It's that different from mine, tho." Ronnie stated.

"Your guy's a cyborg. Gid's only has the one gauntlet." Nick stated. "So I'll allow it."

"Guess I'm up next." Kyle said as he takes out his drawing. His drawing was of a jaguar wearing a yellow armored suit, a red mask, and a red cape. He also carried, what looks like, two laser swords in each paw. "My hero's name is _J-Saber_. He's highly skilled in sword combat with his two laser sabers. They can cut through anything and even have special modes like fire and lightning."

"So technically speaking, your guy doesn't have **real** superpowers?" Mervin asked.

"His only superpower is being awesome... and super-rich." Kyle said.

"Wait? We could make characters rich?" Finnick asked looking surprised. He then snaps his right paw. "I've should have done that."

"Heroes, like _Hood,_ prove that you don't need superpowers to save the day and others. Just good skills... and a good bit of cash." Nick stated.

"Superheroes DO need a lot of money to pay for super suits, equipment, and a super secret hero cave." Benji stated.

"Fair points." Mervin said understanding what Nick and Bobby were implying.

"Okay, that's all of us. Now that we come with superheroes, we need to come up with their backstories, supervillains, and most importantly, the name of our super team." Nick said to the boys. "Let's start brainstorming."

"YEAH!" The other boys shouted while raising a fist in the air.

Meanwhile, as the boys still planned things with their hero characters, the girls were still in the library sitting on some chairs near a small and roundtable. The girls each brought a stack of books that they picked up from some of the shelves as they started reading a few of the books. Judy however, she felt... off while she was reading. She lowered her book down and looked at Falisha. Judy sees that Falisha was reading a book about lawyering or at least trying to read it. Falisha had a tense expression on her face that Judy couldn't ignore.

"You okay there, Fal?" Judy asked her friend.

"I told you before, I'm fine." Falisha said still reading her book.

"Falisha, I've known you for a long while and I know that something is up. Not only that, I'm sure it has something to do with your sister, Lola." Judy stated.

"l don't..." Falisha said raising her voice a bit. But then she realizes she was speaking too loud for being in the library. So she lowered her tone. "I don't have a problem with Lola."

"You sure about that?" Sharla asked.

"No offense, Falisha, but... it seems that things with your _hermana_ were a little... _tiempo_. Tense." Gazelle stated.

"Is that what you thought when you met her? Cause I can tell you right now, Sis and I's relationship is okay." Falisha said sounding a bit tense.

"Falisha, are we really gonna do this?" Judy asked after closing her book and crossing her arm. "If something is up, you can tell us. We're girls."

It wasn't like Falisha had many other girlfriends to hang out with. Plus she has become really good friends with Judy and the other girls. So she decided to close her book and tell them how she felt to the others.

"Okay. Now don't get the wrong idea. I do love my sis and I love having her as my sister. But Lola... she... tries too hard to be an overachiever." Falisha stated.

"Huh? Is that a bad thing?" Judy asked.

"No. Not really. Lola's smart and always does well in her schoolwork. She's pretty much a honor student. It will be no surprise to me if she gets into a good college." Falisha stated with a smile.

"I feel that there's a _but_ coming." Sharla said.

"But... it's like she's trying to do everything too soon." Falisha said looking down.

"Huh?" Judy, Gazelle, and Sharla said looking a bit confused.

"Sis has been so focused on becoming a lawyer that she doesn't bother with other things. Having fun, being with friends, or... spending time with her little sister." Falisha said looking sad.

"Is this... because of what happened with your dad?" Judy asked

"I pretty sure that how it started, yes." Falisha said nodding.

Gazelle and Sharla had confused looks on their faces. They didn't really know about what happened with Falisha's dad. So Judy enlighted them.

"That's right. You don't know." Judy said to Gazelle and Sharla. "Falisha's dad was arrested for a crime he didn't commit. Extortion. People believed that he did it because he was a tiger. But a defense lawyer defended him and prove that he was innocent. But if things were different..."

"... daddy could have ended up in jail for nothing." Falisha stated.

"I see." Gazelle said looking sad.

"So that's why." Sharla said looking sad as well.

"Lola didn't change overnight, but as time went by, things happened." Falisha stated. "She started looking up other cases similar to our dad's. Most other mammals... weren't as lucky. Sis hated that. She hated injustice and people getting away with crimes as the innocent ones suffer."

"That's understandable." Judy said. "I hate injustice too. It's one of the reasons I wanted to be a police officer."

"Well, when the case with my dad was happening, I was still too young to really understand it or feel frustrated like my sister was. But... when I got older... and fully started to understand everything..." Falisha said to them before pausing for a moment. Falisha then started cringing her left fist as she puts her right paw on her face. She then spoke out to the girls again. "... it made me utterly sick to my stomach."

The way Falisha said that made the other girls flinch a bit.

"Zootopia is supposed to be the city where anyone can be anyone and where all mammals, big or small, are supposed to be treated equally. But that's fall from the true." Falisha said firmly. "People still treat most predators as if evolution never happened. The adults who think that are nothing but idiots. When we were babies, aren't we born pure? When we're kits, aren't we still pure enough to know the good from the bad? No one should be treated badly without a good reason. NO ONE!"

"Shhhhhhhhhhh..." Some of the readers around the library went. Falisha was getting a bit too loud again.

"Sorry..." Falisha said quietly feeling a bit awkward.

"Didn't know you were so serious when it came to that." Judy said feeling a bit surprised.

"Don't you?" Falisha asked Judy.

"Of course I do." Judy said boldly. "When I first met Nick, I knew he was a nice fox right off the back. It still really bugs me that people don't see that because he's a fox. But all that matters is that people like us know he's good."

"Yeah. Foxes or not, Nick and his parents are amazing." Falisha said with a smile.

Judy already knew that Falisha thought of Nick as a good friend. But hearing Falisha say that she thinks Nick and his parents are amazing put her at ease more. She really wanted to make sure that Nick was really making friends he could trust. But she was curious about something else. How did Falisha met Nick and joined the Zoo-Burrow Scouts?

"Say Fal, I never asked. How did you meet Nick?" Judy asked.

"I was curious about that myself." Sharla said interested as well.

"Si. Me too." Gazelle said.

"Oh right. I don't think I ever told any of you." Falisha said. "Well... it was around the week that Nick was starting to make a name for himself. The time I met him, he was already quick friends with Mervin, Ronnie, and Audran."

Let flashback to how Falisha met Nick. It was near the end of the week of school. The lunch bell rang and some of the kids started heading to the cafeteria. As Falisha got out of her class and started walking down the hallway, she spotted Nick hanging up one of his posters before heading to lunch.

"That much be him. Nick Wilde." Falisha thought. "Rumor is that not only he got back out some boys who were muzzling a few kids in school, but that he's also forming a pack of his own. Hmmm. Quite the curious fox. I have to get more details on him."

Falisha then walked up to Nick to talk with him.

"Excuse me?" Falisha said trying to getting the fox's attention.

"Huh?" Nick said as he turns around to face Falisha.

"You're Nick, right?" Falisha asked him.

"I am. Who's asking?" Nick said to Falisha.

"Falisha. Falisha Striza." Falisha said giving Nick her full name. "I've heard quite a bit about you."

"Like what, if I may ask?" Nick asked while crossing his arms.

"Like you forming your own pack and doing something to a bad group of boys." Falisha replied.

"News always travels fast in school." Nick said.

"I see. So it's true then." Falisha said with a smile that had a hint of slyness. She then looks at the poster Nick put up. "Zoo-Burrow Scout. Do you have anyone join yet?"

"I happen to have a few members that already joined. They even come here to this school." Nick said proudly.

"Oh. Is that so?" Falisha asked looking interested. "Then would it be okay if I meet up with them? Shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Nick was a bit weird out why this white tiger girl wanted to peer so much at Nick's life and friends. But it didn't seem like Falisha was a bad girl or anything like that. So Nick decided to take Falisha to see Mervin, Ronnie, and Audran.

After making it to the cafeteria, Nick spotted the table with Mervin, Ronnie, Audran. Ronnie notices Nick and waves him.

"Yo Nicky! Over here!" Ronnie shouted out to get his attention.

Nick waves back at his friend. He and Falisha then walk to the table. Some of the boys were a bit surprised to see Nick with this girl.

"Nick, who's this girl with you." Audran asked.

"Falisha?" Mervin said surprised to see her.

"You know her, Merv?" Ronnie asked.

"She goes to my class." Mervin stated.

"Hmmmm." Falisha went as she looked at each of the boys. "A bear, a moose, and a hyena that I happen to have the same class with. Quite the group you have."

"What do you mean by that?" Ronnie asked.

"May I ask how long you three have been friends with Nick here?" Falisha asked.

"Uhh... well... uhhh..." Mervin, Ronnie, and Audran went. The three boys have just become friends with Nick. Like, recently.

"Judging by your words, I'm assuming it was only recently." Falisha replied.

"Well, why does that have to matter?" Audran said to Falisha.

"We're all friends with Nick because we **chose** to be friends with Nick." Ronnie said boldly.

"We don't care what people say about foxes, Nick's our friends. No matter what." Mervin said happily.

Falisha started to smile a bit. Guess she likes the answer she heard from the boys.

"Wise answer. Alright then." Falisha said. Falisha then faced Nick. "Nick, I gonna join your little pack now."

"WHAT?!" Mervin, Aurdan, and Ronnie shouted out in shock.

"SERIOUSLY?!" Nick shouted out also shocked.

Obviously, the boys were all surprised to hear that Falisha wanted to join the Zoo-Burrow Scouts.

"What? Don't tell me you don't allow girls?" Falisha asked with a curious look.

"No. It's not that. In fact, our co-leader is a girl." Nick stated to Falisha. "It just that... we didn't expect you to actually want to join. So why do you?"

"It's because you seem like a nice enough guy. The same can be said about these other boys. Even 'Chuckles'." Falisha said referring to Mervin as Chuckles.

"Heeeey." Mervin said not liking to be called Chuckles.

"Heehee." Falisha giggled. "So, do I qualify?"

"Uhhh... sure. I don't see why not." Nick said willing to let Falisha joined. "Right, guys?"

"Sure." Audran said okay with Falisha joining.

"Fine by me." Ronnie said also okay with Falisha joining.

"The more the merrier." Mervin said shrugging.

"Great!" Falisha said happily. "Well then, I'll see you boys around. This girl needs to get some lunch. Tata!" She then started to walk off to the lunch line. "Your pack better not be boring."

"Uhh... meetings are on Sunday." Nick to Falisha as she walks off. He then turns to Mervin, Ronnie, and Audran. "She's uhhh... different."

"It's like she runs to the beat of her own drum, eh?" Audran said.

"Got that right." Mervin said agreeing with Audran.

Falisha had good enough hearing to hear what the boys said. She just happens to have a big smile on her face and did some small laughter. This ends the flashback on how Falisha joined the Zoo-Burrow Scouts.

"... and that's how I met Nick." Falisha said to the girls.

"Hehe. You kinda do run to the beat of your own drum." Judy said with a smile.

"Doesn't mean I don't like to run to the beat of others." Falisha stated with a wink. "I like the fact that Mervin and the others chose to be Nick's friend and I like the fact that Nick wanted to form a pack that was okay with no matter what mammal joined. For a couple of boys, they're actually pretty cool."

"But not as cool as us girls." Judy said proudly pointing at herself.

"Heard that." Sharla said agreeing with Judy and high fiving her.

"Still..." Falisha said as she looked a bit sad. "I can really say I run to my own beat. More of a beat similar to my sister. Lola thinks I should be like her and do the same thing she wants to do. But I don't know what I should do. I don't think I want to follow what my sister footsteps."

"That's understandable." Judy said. "My parents wanted most of us to grow up and become farmers like them. But I didn't want to do the same thing as everyone else. I wanted to help change the world. Can't really do that by just being a farmer bunny."

"Ha. You've always been one to do the impossible, Judy." Sharla said patting Judy on the back.

"Not impossible. Seemingly impossible." Judy stated.

"Even if there's a tiny chance, anything is possible." Gazelle stated.

All the girls lightly nodded.

"But, like Nick told me, we're not growing up for a long time. We need to have fun and enjoy things while we're young." Judy said to the others.

"Yeah. I wish sis could understand that." Falisha said. As soon as she said that, her expression started to change. She then quickly stood out of her chair and smashed the table with her paws in excitement. "THAT'S IT!" She shouted out.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhh..." The other readers around the area went.

"Sorry... again..." Falisha said quietly and apologetic.

"You know for someone how suggested we go here, you really need to know to quiet down." Sharla said to Falisha.

"Ah ha ha ha..." Falisha laughed awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her head.

So it looked like Falisha had in mind for her sister, Lola. Meanwhile, let's get back to Nick's house and the other boys. After coming up with their superheroes, they also decided to have a hero team. They were trying to come up with a few other things like backstories, villains, etc. It also seems like the boys were starting to have some... disagreements.

"You know you guys don't have to have such dramatic backstories." Bobby stated firmly.

"Everyone knows that the best superheroes have the most dramatic and traumatizing backstories." Kyle stated boldly.

"That doesn't mean your hero has to have dead parents." Bobby stated.

"The best heroes do." Finnick said.

"Finn's right. Most heroes don't have a reason to be a hero until they see their mom and/or dad die." Ronnie said agreeing with Kyle and Finnick.

"There are still a good amount of heroes that have their parents alive." Benji said. "You don't need to do the same thing like everyone else."

"Please. At least the backstories make sense. I can't even begin to understand your's." Finnick said while crossing his arms.

"What was that?" Benji said getting mad.

"Guys, enough arguing." Nick said trying to be the voice of reason. "Let's just continue discussing the plan."

"About that, why do I have to be the last guy to join the official team?" Gideon asked looking a bit peeved.

"A superhero team always starts with five or six members before going up higher. Everyone knows that." Finnick stated. "Plus **three** foxes as the starters? People won't be down with that."

"This hero team plan sucks, eh?" Audran said firmly while crossing his arms.

"Like your guy's backstory?" Kyle said harshly.

"Do you want to fight?" Audran asked Kyle getting looking mad.

"Maybe I do,... eh?" Kyle said mocking Audran a bit.

"Okay, that's it!" Audran said having enough.

Eventually it led to the boys shouting loudly at each others. It was the same for some of the other boys as welll. All except Nick. Once again, he had to be the voice of reason and break up all the fighting.

"GUYS, ENOUGH!" Nick shouted out loudly. "We don't need us all to be so riled up. As leader of this group, I think we should..."

"Woah! Woah! Woah!" Finnick said halting Nick's words.

"You're leader?!" All the boys, except Nick, shouted out.

"How come you always have to be the leader?" Benji asked looking a bit mad.

"It's just that... well... I'm the leader of the scouts and my guy wears red. So I just assume..." Nick said before getting his words interrupted again.

"The red rules only applies to the the Zooper Rangers and you know it." Bobby stated firmly.

"Besides, it would be better if a fox wasn't our leader?" Kyle said a bit harshly.

Hearing the way Kyle said that, ticked off Nick quite a bit.

"What was that?" Nick asked Kyle glaring angrily at him.

This led to all the boys glaring at each other. Things were getting quite heated. It seems that they could not only agree on each others' backstories but also could not agree who should be the leader. This didn't bode well.

Meanwhile, back in the library, from behind a bookshelf, Falisha and the girls spotted her sister, Lola, reading a book sitting by a table by herself.

"Okay. There she is." Falisha said quietly to Judy and the other girls.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Judy asked looking a bit worried.

"Yes. I've been meaning to talk to my sister like this for a long time. If I keep pushing it off, it will be too late." Falisha stated. "I have to do this now."

"Alright then. Good luck." Sharla said.

"Si." Gazelle said wishing Falisha luck as well.

After taking a deep breath, Falisha walked over to her Lola. Once she was near her left side, she quietly spoke out to her.

"Umm... sis?" Falisha said trying get Lola's attention.

"Huh?" Lola said as she looks up at her little sister. "Oh, Falisha? What is it?"

"Can... I talk to you about something? It's really important." Failisha asked sincerely.

"Alright. But make it a quick." Lola said while closing her book.

Falisha started feeling uneasy with her sister's demeanor. But she stayed strong and was ready to talk with her sister.

"Lola, you have always been a great big sister. You're smart, dependable, determinated, and passionate. I couldn't ask for a better sister." Falisha said with a smile. "But..." Her smile then went away. "... for the longest time, the only thing you seem to focus on is being a lawyer. I worry for you that you've been trying to grow up too fast."

"I'm not a child like you are, Falisha." Lola said firmly.

"But you're not fully an adult either." Falisha stated. "Listen, I'm not telling you to give up on your dream or stop working so hard. But every now and so, you should take a break and enjoy things once in a while. I mean, the two of us haven't hang out in such a long time."

"Long time? What are you talking about? It wasn't that long since we hanged out, just the two of us." Lola said.

"When was that last time we did?" Falisha asked.

"That time we went to see that new exhibit in the Museum. We also went to get ice cream." Lola said.

"Lola... that was four years ago." Falisha said.

Hearing that, Lola's demeanor changed into a shocked one. "What?" Lola said with a stunned expression on her face.

"I was 5 when you took me to the Museum." Falisha said before twitting her paws. "I remember... cause that was before daddy's case... and before you changed."

Apparently, this was quite a shock for Lola. She could have sworn it was sooner than that. But it wasn't. That trip to the Museum really was four years ago. Then, all these feelings started flooding inside Lola's mind. Most of the memories she had was just studying. She didn't recall hanging out with her friends, going out to parties, or even spending enough time with her little sister. It was like time was passing fast and she didn't realize it.

"Oh my god. You're right." Lola said feeling bad. " Four years. Has it really been that long? I mean, I knew that I was always studying but I thought we still hanged out a lot."

"Just casual stuff. Usually with mom and dad. But we never really had any real quality time together." Falisha stated. "You were mostly on your books an I was doing my own thing. Hanging out with my friends... and being a kid. I always wanted to talk to you more about it, but I didn't want to bother you with kid stuff."

"Ohh. No. I'm sorry, Fal." Lola said before lifting her sister from the ground and putting her on her lap. "You're being a kid because you are a kid. I still am too. It's just that I..."

"I know." Falisha said to Lola not to say anything else.

"... with dad and everything..." Lola went on.

"I know." Falisha said again to Lola. "I may be your little sister, but that doesn't mean I don't have some of your smarts." Falisha had a bit of a cocky smile when she said that.

"Ha. Too true." Lola said laughing a bit but still being quiet. "Anyway little sister, I promise to put down the books a little bit more and spend some more quality time with you."

"Thanks, sis. Just be sure to put them down too much. I still support your dream and I want you to succeed." Falisha said with a smile. "Also, I still want to hang out with my friends."

"That's fine with me." Lola said. "I may need to reconnect with a few of mine."

"Oh. I was worried you turned into one of those nerdy kids." Falisha said with a smirk.

"Nerdy? Don't think I didn't see your last report card, Ms. Straight-As." Lola said with a smirk as she pokes at her sister's forehead.

"Least I know when to have fun." Falisha added.

"I'm fun. I'm STILL fun." Lola replied.

"Sure you are, sis. Sure you are." Falisha said in an 'I don't believe you.' matter.

The two sisters then went on more talking, laughing, and reconnecting. It's was a sight that Judy, Gazelle, and Sharla were all happy to see.

After a while, the girls said their farewells to Lola as they left the library and decided to head back to Nick's house.

"So things are good with you and your sister now?" Judy asked.

"Better than good." Falisha said happily. "I think that's the first time we truly spoke like that in years."

"We're happy for you, Falisha." Gazelle said with a smile.

"Yeah." Sharla added.

"It's good that my sis wants to be a lawyer, but it's great that she decided to dial it back a bit and have some fun before she goes off to college." Falisha said.

"She already has her plan set out. Just like I do." Judy said.

"Our goals won't be easy, but we can reach out for our goals so long as we work hard for them." Gazelle said eagerly.

"Yeah!" Judy said nodding. She then looked at Falisha again. "So Fal, have you decided what you want to do when you grow up yet."

"I... actually did." Falisha said before halting. "I figured it out when I first met Nick and the boys. I have observing skills like my sister and I also am a strong believer of justice. Yet, I don't want to do what she does exactly. What I want to be... is a private eye."

"A private eye? You mean an detective?" Sharla asked.

"Yes." Falisha said nodding. "Most crime scenes leave key evidences. A private eyes job is to leave no stone unturned AND they do it in the shadows. Plus, if I become a private eye, I could help Lola and you, Judy."

"So you still believe I can be a cop?" Judy asked.

"I don't think. I know." Falisha said happily. "You can do it, Jude."

"Thanks." Judy said with a sincere smile. She then bumped fist with Falisha as a sign of their good friendship. Gazelle and Sharla also joined in before breaking it up. "Alright, let's head back to Nick's. Let's race there."

"Woah woah woah!" Falisha said halting everyone. "I know we are all still kids, but can't we all just walk and enjoy the sight of the town?"

Judy, Sharla, and Gazelle all looked at each other a quick second before turning back to Falisha and responding "Nope!". Next thing to happen was the three guys dashing off with Falisha.

"HEY! SERIOUSLY?!" Falisha shouted out not believing that they actually did that. "OKAY! IT'S ON NOW!" Falisha had a cocky smile and started chasing after the other girls to catch up with them.

After their race, they made it back to Nick's house. As they go back to the living room, they are shock with the sight they see. Some of the boys were down on the ground, hundreds of sheets were down on the floor, and many of the papers were ripped or torned to shreds.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" The girls shouted out.

Benji got up and started to explain. "We all decided it would be a cool idea to make our own superheroes and our own superhero teams."

"It was all good until we brought up things like background stories, villains, and who should be the leader." Finnick said still laying flat on the ground.

"We had some disagreements and... it pretty much led to all of this." Nick said getting up.

Judy shook her head in disappointment. "I'm disappointed in all of you boys." Judy said to them. "Don't you guys know the most important superhero rule? It's not about who has the better power or who has the best backstory. It's about what they use their powers for. To help others that can't help themselves."

All the other boys got up and realized that Judy was right. A hero fights for the sake of others, not for the sake of glory.

"I guess we did let our egos get the best of us." Nick admitted.

"Some of did say things that we shouldn't have said too." Kyle admitted while scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry, guys." Nick said apologetic.

"Us too." The other said apologetic as well.

"So, we're cool?" Nick asked the boys.

"We're cool." The others said happily.

The boys all apologized at each other for fighting. Good thing too. The house probably can't take any more drama. As the boys all shook paws with each other, Judy and the other girls looked down at the floor at some of the drawing. Judy picked up a drawing of Nick's hero, FoxFire, and liked it.

"Hmm. Some of these aren't bad." Judy said with a smile. "Is it okay if we join in this time?"

"Sure." Nick said happily.

"So long as you don't start up an argument like we did." Finnick told her.

"We're not boys. I think we'll be fine." Falisha said with a smirk.

"Heeeeey!" The boys all said feeling offended.

"Oh, you know what I mean." Falisha said to them.

"Yeaaaah..." The boys went before realizing they were offended again. "Heeeeeyyy!"

After a quick laugh, the girls all grabbed some pencils, crayons, and paper then started drawing. The boy also rejoined in. This time, they promised not to fight again. They all had a good time and finally came up with ideas they all can agree on.

The next day, Judy came home and quickly got out her diary. She got out her carrot pen and was ready to write another entry.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _This time went to the Downtown library with the girls for most of the day. I also got to know more about my friend, Falisha. When we went to the library, I finally got to meet her sister, Lola. She's was nice enough, but also a bit intense and driven. It was kinda affecting Falisha. According to her, after Falisha's dad almost went to jail, Lola has always been focused on her studies to become a lawyer. I thinks it's great and all, but you still need to have fun every once and a while. Falisha knew this too and wanted her sister to understand. After a long talk, she able to. Lola promised to take it easy on the books and enjoy life a bit before fully growing up. Afterall, we're only young once and we need to enjoy things while we're young. I still want to grow up and become a police officer, but I won't let go of the good times I have with all of my friends. I want them to last as long as I can. Okay, that's all for now. Write more next time._

 _Judy_

PS: I also placed a drawing in you. It's of my own superhero. Her name is Bunny Justice. A heroine who's as strong as her search for justice.

The drawing was of a grey girl bunny wearing a unitard in police colors, and had a golden chain on her side to wrap criminals in. She puts the drawing in her journal and closes it. Another entry finished.

 **That's it for this chapter. Sorry it took so long. I want to say the next one won't, but... life has it's twist and turns. Well, till next time.**


	34. Chapter 32: The Discussion

**OBJECTION! It's time for While We're Young Chapter 32. Woohoo! A quick update for once. This chapter is gonna be about a debate that both Nick and Judy were meant to have for a looooong time. I had this chapter planned for quite some time. But I was having problems coming up with the right way to do this chapter. After a long time of discussing it with myself, I went with a court theme. Irony is, I remember someone suggesting I do a little court case. But this is different from the suggested idea. Still, this will be quite a good and funny chapter. Really funny in fact. Least I think it's funny. Okay. Let's start this chapter up.**

* * *

It was another nice and sunny Saturday in Bunnyburrow. Today, Nick and his Zootopia friends, came to visit Judy and her Bunnyburrow friends. After a quick Zoo-Burrow Scouts meeting, the group of kids change and decide to go to the town's park and play. Some of kids were on the swings, some of the kids slid down the slide, a few of the boys, like Kyle, Bobby, Ronnie, and Finnick were playing with wooden swords, and lastly, Nick, Judy, and some of the others were playing hide-n-seek.

After finding, Benji, Gazelle, Sharla, Gideon, and Libby, Nick now only needed to find Judy. While it was easy for Nick to find everyone else, Judy was proving to be quite difficult.

"Hmmmmm. I can't find Carrots anywhere." Nick thought as he looks around the playground. "She must have even learn how to cover scent."

What Nick didn't know, was that Judy was hiding behind one of the nearby bushes. She was trying to do her best not to giggle and give away her hiding spot.

Nick scratched the back of his neck trying to figure out to find Judy. If there was one thing Nick was good at, it was being smart and outsmarting others. Nick then had on his wide and sly smirk as he came up with a way to weed out Judy. Picking at her weakness.

"EXCUSE ME! HAS ANYONE SEEN A _CUTE_ BUNNY GIRL?" Nick shouted out.

The second Nick mention the _c-word_ , Judy's ears twitched up. Like the other times, Judy **hates** being called _cute_. As angry as she was, she didn't fall for Nick's lore. She stay down in her hiding spot. Since the first time didn't work, Nick decided to do it again.

"SERIOUSLY? HAS ANYONE SEEN A _CUTE_ LITTLE BUNNY? SHE'S SMALL AND SUPER _CUTE_? LIKE REALLY _CUTE_! LIKE THE _CUTEST_ BUNNY IN ALL BUNNYBURROW! YEP! THAT WOULD BE HER!" Nick shouted out with his signature sly grin.

After a while, Judy had enough.

"DON'T CALL ME CUTE!" Judy shouted out.

With that outburst, Judy pretty much gave away her position.

"NEVERMIND!" Nick shouted out now knowing where Judy was. He walked over to the bush where Judy was hiding, went behind the bush, and lifted Judy from the ground as he spotted her. "Found you, Carrots."

"No fair, Slick. That was cheating." Judy stated looking very mad.

"No, it wasn't. I just lured you to get you to give up your hiding spot." Nick said as he puts Judy down. "You should have just held onto your pride."

"Grrrrrr..." Judy growled. "Nick, I told a hundred times not to call me cute." Judy said still pretty steamed.

"Uh oh! Looks like the little bun is getting steamed." Nick said with a smirk. "By the way, it was only 34 times you told me not to call you cute. 36 if you include the two times just a few seconds ago."

"If that's true then why do you continue to do it?" Judy asked.

"Because... you take it too serious." Nick said firmly with his right index finger up. "If you become a cop and were out on the field when someone referred to you as 'cute', you would be dead right at the spot. If you can't handle that with me, how can you handle it with everyone else?"

As usual, Nick had some good points. But that doesn't mean she was okay with any of them.

"That may be how it is for you foxes, but us bunnies actually care how the world sees us." Judy said firmly.

"You foxes? Did you really just go there?" Nick asked feeling a bit offended.

"Maybe I did." Judy said with a smirk as she boops his nose.

"Okay. You know what..." Nick said at Judy.

Next thing to happen was the two getting into one of their famous arguments. They were loud enough for a few of the kids to hear.

"Oh great. Judy and Nick are at it again." Benji said to a few of the others.

"Should we do something?" Sharla asked.

"Naw. This happens all the time. It usually doesn't get too heated." Gideon stated. "Let's let City Boy and Judy handle their problems on their own."

"Well, if you say so." Sharla said still looking concerned.

While the others continued playing, Nick and Judy still went at it.

"It's not a big deal." Nick said to Judy firmly.

"Yes, it is." Judy said just as firm as Nick.

"No, it's not." Nick said.

"Yes, it is." Judy said.

"No... it's... not." Nick said.

"Yes... it... is." Judy said.

"*sigh* You're not back down, are you, Judy?" Nick asked.

"No, Nick." Judy said boldly as she crossed her arms.

"Then... I guess it's finally time." Nick said sounding serious.

"Huh? Finally time?" Judy said sounding confused.

Nick then ran back to everyone else. Judy was still confused about everything or what Nick was planning. He then called everyone in to say something. Hearing Nick call out to each of them, they came to see what Nick wanted.

"Nick, what's wrong? Why did you call all of us?" Finnick asked.

"It's time. Time for..." Nick said before sounding more dramatic. " **... THE DISCUSSION!** "

Everyone, except Judy, gasped as Nick said that. Kyle and Bobby both dropped their wooden swords and looked totally stunned. Same for everyone else.

" **The Discussion**? Really? Today's the day?" Mervin asked.

"Yes." Nick said nodding.

"O... M... Goodness." Benji said stunned.

"Uhh... what's **The Discussion**?" Judy asked.

"I knew it would happen one day, but not today." Ronnie said scratching the side of his neck.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later. Might as well be sooner, eh?" Audran said.

"What's **The Discussion**? Judy asked again with still no response.

"This might change everything as we know it." Gareth stated.

"But it could end things once and for all." Sharla stated.

"GUYS! FOR FOX SAKE, WHAT'S **THE DISCUSSION**?" Judy shouted out. This time, the others couldn't ignore her.

"You'll find out in just a few." Nick said to Judy. "First things first."

"We need an empty room, a bunch of chairs, and some boxes. Maybe an actual stand if they have one." Falisha said to Nick.

"Right." Nick said nodded. He then pointed straightforward. "To the Hopps house."

Everyone started to make their way back to Judy's house. Judy was still beyond confused about all this. She still knew nothing about what this **discussion** was all about. Let alone why they would need all that stuff. But she decided to just go with it hoping that all her questions will be answered.

A couple of minutes later, everyone made it to the Hopps home and start setting things up in one of the empty rooms. Chairs were placed in rows and in the front of those chairs was a small wooden stand similar to the ones people use for debates. The way everything was set up was similar to a courtroom. Everyone in the room was sitting down on their chairs muttering stuff. Nick and Judy were sitting in chairs near the stand away from everyone else.

"Why is everything set up like this?" Judy asked.

"Like I said, today it's time for **The Discussion**. But we won't just be talking. We will be doing it in the form of a court case." Nick said with a smile.

"Court case?" Judy said as she tilted her head.

"Yeah. Well, just as soon as Ben gets here." Nick said since been wasn't in the room.

The second Nick mention that, Benji came into the room wearing a black judge robe and holding a toy mallet.

"Sorry if I'm a little late." Benji said to everyone. "Can you believe I was able to get a robe just like a judge? AND that it fits me?"

"Come on, Benji. Let's start this already." Nick said wanting to start things off.

"Sorry. Sorry." Benji said as he rushes to the stand. "Amen. Now, all rise." Everyone stood out of their chairs. "Court is now in session." Benji then banged his toy mallet on the stand. It made a squeaky sound.

"Psssh! Hehehehe!" Mervin laughed. "What? Couldn't find a real gavel?"

"It was the best I could find." Benji said to Mervin. "Alright. Sit. Sit." Everyone then sits back on in their chairs. "Let us now begin today's case. Nick Wilde vs. Judy Hopps. The main case, is it okay to call a bunny cute or not?"

"So that's what this is all about." Judy said realizing what everything was for. " **The Discussion** is to talk about it being okay to call a bunny cute or not."

"You guessed it." Nick said with a smile.

"How long have you planned this?" Judy asked.

"Since the first time I called you cute and you got mad." Nick said to her.

"You seriously planned that far ahead?" Judy asked looking a bit surprised.

"I always plan far ahead." Nick said firmly.

Clearly, Nick really did plan ahead to have everyone else on board and set things up like this.

"Now then, Falisha?" Benji said.

"On it." Falisha said standing up from her chair. She then paced left and right between Nick and Judy. "Since my big sis wants to be a lawyer... and my family watches a lot of court shows on TV, I have the most experience when it comes to this stuff. I will act as a lawyer for both of you. I will be a neutral party and state out points the two of you make. Since I'm a neutral party, I won't side with either of you. I will just do what I can to keep this discussion forward. Understand."

"That's fine." Judy said agreeing with Falisha's words.

"Understood." Nick said also agreeing.

Falisha then faces Nick. "Nick, you will be the plaintiff since your the one bringing the case..." Falisha then faces Judy. "... and Judy, you will be the defendant." She then faces everyone else. "Everyone else here will not only act as the audience but will also give out their thoughts on this case too. Here, everyone's opinion matters. Also to be fair to Judy's side, we have other fellow bunnies here. Libby, Judy's brother's Cole and Conner, and Judy's sister, Daisy."

The bunnies all wave their paws as a sign saying that they were here.

"Okay. So, what's the catch to all this?" Judy asked.

"It depends on who wins the case. If things lead more to your side, then Nick will promise never to call you cute ever again." Falisha said to Judy. "However, if things lead more to Nick's side, then you can't be angry no matter how many times he calls you cute."

Judy flinched for a second. She didn't like the idea of Nick being able to call her cute all the time and not being angry at him. But it wasn't like the deal wasn't fair.

"With that said, do you both agree with these terms?" Falisha asked.

"Yes." Nick said.

"Yes." Judy said.

"Very well. Then now we can begin the opening statements." Benji said before he bangs his toy mallet on the stand again and it squeaks.

"Pshhh! Hehe!" Mervin laughed again.

"Mervin..." Some of the other kids went.

"Sorry." Mervin said apologetically.

"Nick, you're up first." Benji said to Nick.

"Gladly." Nick said as he puts on a cocky smile. He then stood up from his chair. "Now, the first time Judy came to Zootopia, she was wearing this frilly dress and a bow. I said she looked cute as a compliment, but she took it as an insult. That's when she told me that other mammals can't call bunnies cute. When I heard that, I thought it was pretty dumb. They could try and hide it all they want, they can't just block out their cuteness. So why complain about it? They sound just embrace what they have."

"That's not the..." Judy said sounds pretty angry. But was then halted by Benji banging his mallet.

"Order! Order!" Benji shouted out. "Judy, you have to wait until Nick's done."

"That... was pretty much my whole opening statement." Nick said. He then sat back down in his chair.

"Oh. Well... okay then." Benji said. "Judy, now you can start your opening statement."

"Thank you." Judy said as she stands up from her chair. "Okay, I let it slide when Nick called me cute the first time. But even after I told him, he still continues to do it. He has no idea how us bunnies feel about being called cute. Most people only see a bunny as cute and never take us seriously. No matter what serious job we do. It's not about whether I'm cute or not, it's about our pride as bunnies and we only want to be seen the same as everyone else."

"I still think it's pretty dumb." Nick said firmly with his arms crossed.

"Order, Nick!" Benji shouted as he bangs his mallet again.

"It's fine, actually. I'm done with my opening statement." Judy said as she sat back down in her chair.

"Still... you two need to ease up on your outbursts." Benji said to Nick and Judy. He then looked at Falisha. "Falisha, what do you have to say about Nick and Judy's statement?"

"Quite a bit." Falisha said. "For Nick, he thinks that bunnies shouldn't care if someone calls them cute and they should just embrace it. For Judy, she thinks bunnies should be seen more than just their cute features. Pride is another factor to take account of. In my opinion, both Nick and Judy gave out pretty strong and solid points."

"I think so too. The final decision might be tougher then we all thought." Benji stated. "But then again, we're just getting started." Benji then looks at everyone else. "Okay, now we get to hear from our audience. Anyone, what to go first?"

"I do." Ronnie said raising his paw. He then got up from the chair before speaking. "First off, Judy, I'm sorry, but I got to agree with Nick."

"What?!" Judy shouted out.

"Ha!" Nick said with a cocky smile.

"Nick's right about bunnies taking the whole _cute_ thing too serious." Ronnie said boldly. "I mean, has anyone ever heard of teddy bears? Us bears are lucky to be cute when we're young. But once we get older, it's..." Ronnie then started doing a poor imitation of a wild bear. "Graaaaaahhh!"

"Wow, dude. Your acting might be worst than Judy's or Kyle's." Bobby said to Ronnie not impressed by his wild bear imitation.

"My point is..." Ronnie said getting over the insult. "... bunnies get to keep their cuteness longer than most of us other species. Us bears would love to have theirs a bit longer. Except for pandas. Pandas keep their cuteness longer than other bears."

Everyone else muttered some words that kinda agree with Ronnie's statement about pandas. Compared to grizzlies or polar bears, pandas are the cuter type of bear.

"I agree with Ron." Mervin said getting up. "Also, I feel that bunnies saying that ' _You can't call a bunny cute.'_ is like an insult to other species. It like your dissing all the other species and saying that they aren't cute."

"OBJECTION!" Judy shouted out. "We're not trying to insult other mammals just because we don't like being called cute."

"OBJECTION TO YOUR OBJECTION!" Nick shouted out. "That implies that others species aren't as cute."

"I OBJECT TO YOUR OBJECTION TO MY OBJECTION!" Judy shouted out looking angry at Nick.

"WELL, I OBJECT TO YOUR OBJECTION TO MY OBJECTION TO YOUR OBJECTION!" Nick shouted out looking angry at Judy.

"WELL, I OB..." Judy shouted.

"ORDER! ORDER!" Benji shouted out loudly and banged his mallet multiple times. "Nick, Judy, take it down a bit. You two have never been this heated before."

"Fine." Nick said calming down, but still looking angry.

"Hmph." Judy just scoffed.

"Okay. Anyone else got something to add?" Benji asked. "Hopefully, it won't cause Nick and Judy to blow their tops off again."

"If no one else is going too, I'm siding with Judy." Sharla said.

"Thank you, Sharla." Judy said happily to hear that someone was with her.

"I mean, she just doesn't want to be titled as _cute_. The world outside of Bunnyburrow is tough and they should be seen more than a little bunny." Sharla stated.

"I agree." Gareth said. "People see sheep as nice and have fluffy coats. But we want to be known for more than that. In a way, we can see what Judy means."

"Hmmm. Looks like so far they are some pretty focused points from both sides." Falisha said.

"Agreed. It seems like Nick and Judy need to say more before we can come up with a solution to this." Benji said. "Nick, do an second statement."

"Sure. I can do that, your honor." Nick said before getting up from his chair again. "Now, I admit that some people can say the wrong things about bunnies. But Judy, can you not say that bunnies haven't said the wrong things about foxes?"

"Huh?" Judy said looking confused where Nick words were heading.

"Judy, before we met, your family was still fickle on most predators and especially foxes." Nick stated. "You think foxes like being called 'no good' or 'conniving'? That's worse than being called cute."

It was true with what Nick said. Some foxes may be 'conniving', but saying all foxes were 'no good' or 'conniving' was far from the truth.

"Objection! Nick, you know I don't think of you that way." Judy said sincerely.

"That's not the point, Carrots." Nick said. "I just saying a lot of mammals would like to be called cute over those other words."

"Nick has some fair points." Benji stated.

"Thank you..." Nick said with a smile. "... but I'm not done yet. Sure, we don't need to call an adult bunny 'the c-word', but what about kits or babies? Can't we honestly not say that?" Nick then opened up both his arms out. "I mean, we're all still kids. Aren't we supposed to still be cute?"

Most of the gang agreed with Nick's points. They **were** all children and were all cute in their own ways. Bunny company excluded.

"The same can be said about babies, can it not?" Nick asked as he went on. "I know I was an adorable baby. I pretty sure Judy does too, right Carrots?"

"I... I don't need to say anything." Judy said looking red-faced.

"Huh. That's weird. Didn't you said I was adorable during our first visit to Zootopia?" Nick asked with a sly grin.

"That was sarcasm." Judy stated still red-faced.

"*sigh* Figures you would say that." Nick said as he shrugged. "Very well. Time for me to show up my evidence."

"Evidence?" Judy said as the red started to fade from his face.

"Alright." Nick said as he reaches in his pockets. "Mom said I was a fussy baby. But sometimes when she would put me in a basket, I would instantly fall asleep. Everyone, here's the picture."

Nick then showed everyone the photo. It was Nick as a baby all curled up sleeping peacefully in a weaved basket. It... was... adorable. That's what everyone who saw the picture thought that.

"Awwwwwwwwwww!" Everyone went.

"Pshhh! Hahaha! You were willing to show this picture to everyone here?" Finnick asked after chuckling.

"That's how bad I want to win this." Nick said firmly.

"And you carried that with you that whole time?" Gazelle asked.

"Again, that's how bad I want to win this." Nick said still as firm as before.

"Well, I for one think the picture of you as a baby is so cute." Benji said happily.

"Thank you, Ben." Nick said with smile. It then switches to a sly grin when he stared at Judy. "Well Carrots, can you honestly **not** say I was a cute baby?"

"N... no." Judy admitted.

"Could you honestly not say the same for a baby bunny?" Nick asked Judy.

"No." Judy admitted.

"See what I'm saying? How do you expect anyone to not call a baby bunny cute? For someone to not think a baby, let alone a baby bunny, is cute, it would not only be false..." Nick then pointed at Judy dramatically. "... _it would be downright cruel_."

"EEK!" Judy squealed as she twitched.

Look like Nick had played a strong hand. No matter how Judy would try to fight it, babies are babies and all babies, including baby bunnies, were all, in one form or another, cute. You can't make a winning argument with that.

"He's kinda got you beat there, Judy." Kyle said agreeing with Nick's point of views.

"Yeah. We've seen the new babies." Gideon added. "You can't say they're not cute."

"Okay. Okay. Guess it's okay to call baby bunnies cute." Judy said giving in. "BUT... that should be the one and only other time it's okay."

"Still not ready to throw in the towel, Carrots?" Nick asked with a sly grin as he sits back down in his chair.

"You should know by now that I don't know when to quit." Judy stated to Nick. "Besides, this isn't over yet."

"Then do you have something else to add, Judy?" Benji asked.

"I do, your honor." Judy said with a confident smile.

"Very well. Go ahead." Benji said allowing Judy to speak.

Judy stands up from her chair and clears her throat before speaking. "My dear friends and jurors, I still feel strong about calling a bunny 'cute' and that people shouldn't call us that." Judy said. "First, doesn't anyone truly know WHY bunnies don't like being called _cute_? Cause it isn't as obvious as you think?"

"Huh?" Nick said looking confused.

"Judy, enlighten us with what you mean." Benji said.

"No matter how big or small, everyone has an image they want other people to see them as." Judy stated. She then had her attention on Nick. "Nick, we all know your thoughts about how mistreated foxes can be."

"Yeah. This isn't exactly news." Nick said.

"Well, bunnies aren't treated well either." Judy stated. "Did you know some bunnies attempted to do other jobs? Jobs that usually bigger mammals would do. However, most big mammals tend to only see them as cute faces. Because as of that, they do think they aren't cut out for certain lines of work. Which eventually leads to the bunnies giving up on hard work and settling for the easy jobs."

"Ah!" Nick said sounding surprised.

"You sounded shocked, Slick. Surely someone as smart as you must have already known this." Judy said and this time she had the wide grin.

The look on Nick's face pretty much said he didn't know that.

"Bunnies don't like being called cute, not only because they demeaning to us, but it also discourages us from doing other things." Judy said before pointing at Nick boldly and in a dramatic fashion. " **Is that what you want us bunnies to do, Nicky?** "

"GAAHHHHHH!" Nick shouted out as he flinched.

"Nick, do you have anything to say to that?" Benji asked.

"Of course I don't want bunnies to do that." Nick said firmly. "Judy, you know I don't think that way."

"Really? Cause I couldn't from all the times you call me cute." Judy said boldly.

"Those times were different and you know it." Nick said as he gritted his teeth.

"Order! Order!" Benji shouted out as he banged his hammer and it squeaks. "Man, this is getting to be a bit too much. Should we even keep going?"

"We have to." Nick said.

"Otherwise, this was all pointless." Judy said.

"Okay. Falisha, what do you got to say?" Benji as Falisha.

"Ugh. This definitely isn't getting easier." Falisha said as she scratched the back of her head. "Nick made good points with the whole baby thing, but Judy's points also brought some light to why bunnies don't like being called cute. Since I'm still neutral, I can't make heads or tails of this."

"I'm still leaning in on what City Boy is saying." Gideon stated.

"I'm kinda on Nick's side too." Phillip said. "I feel that bunnies should just embrace their cuteness like us zebra's embracing our stripes."

"No way. Conner and I our with our sister." Cole said.

"We don't like being called cute either. We prefer 'cool'." Conner stated.

"Of course you would side with your sister." Nick stated.

"Actually Nick, I... got to side with bunny girl on this one." Finnick said.

"WHAT?!" Nick shouted out shocked that Finnick should say that.

"Ha!" Judy laughed.

"Look, I'm small and I'll be lucky to grow another inch when I'm my pop's age. People are gonna confuse me for a cute little guy for most of my life. So I know why bunny girl and other bunnies hate it so much." Finnick said.

"That's... not entirely true." Libby said. "I'm actually okay with being called cute."

"WHAT?!" Judy, Cole, and Conner shouted out.

"Me too." Daisy also shouted out.

"WHAT?!" Judy, Cole, and Conner shouted out again.

"Oh hoo hoo! Plot twist!" Travis said looking like he was enjoying where this was heading.

"Daisy, Libby, why would you be okay with being called cute?" Judy said.

"Judy, look at me." Libby said while pointing up and down at herself. "I'm cute beyond words and to be honest, I like that."

"Yeah. Me too." Daisy said. "Remember Claw o'ween? I was dressed as a pink fairy princess. When we went to the other houses, I was hoping to get a lot of compliments on my costume. But when everyone other person saw my costume, they said ' _My, that's a... costume you have on._ '. They just dropped the 'cute' entirely."

"Well... that's a good thing." Judy said.

"CUTE WAS WHAT I WAS GOING FOR!" Daisy shouted out loud enough to make everyone in the room jump. "CUTE IS WHAT GETS YOU CANDY!"

"She ain't wrong." Mervin stated.

"Not that you can get much candy in a town like Bunnyburrow though." Audran stated since the population of Bunnyburrow is a bit high.

"Yeah. You guys would be lucky to get even a pawful in this town." Finnick stated. "In Zootopia, most kids can get a pretty good haul.

"Judy, we're going to Zootopia for Claw o'ween next time." Daisy said.

"We'll talk about that later." Judy said since this wasn't really the time.

"Judy, why can't you just admit the whole cute thing is stupid already?" Nick asked firmly.

"It's not stupid. You have no idea I feel about it." Judy said firmly.

"Riiiiight. Cause being called cute is so much worst than being called a most-fearful predator." Nick said in a sarcastic tone.

"Actually, foxes aren't that high on the list of fearful mammals." Chuck said.

"Wait, what?" Nick said as Chuck's words get his attention. "What do mean by that?"

"Uhhh... well... not too long ago, I found a list of mammals that people consider the most dangerous. Foxes aren't really up that high." Chuck stated.

"Well, the list goes like this. In the 1, 2, and 3 spots are lions, tigers, and bears. No offense, Ronnie and Falisha." Chuck said.

"None taken." Ronnie and Falisha said.

"#4 and #5 are cougars and jaguars." Chuck said. "No offense, Kyle."

"Yeah yeah." Kyle said not sweating it.

"Then #6 is foxes?" Nick asked.

"No. #6 is wolves. Then #7 is elephants." Chuck said.

"Prey mammals are on that list?" Darwin asked sounding surprised.

"Elephants are dangerous to anyone who's smaller than them." Finnick stated.

"Right. Then #8 is rhinos, #9 is hippos, then #10... hyenas." Chuck said.

"WHAAA... I'M ON THAT LIST?!" Mervin said shocked by that. "Why?"

"Does everyone remember the _lion movie_?" Chuck asked.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Everyone else went, meaning that they all seen the movie.

"Yeah... that's a... pretty good... reason." Flash said.

"Then is #11 foxes?" Nick asked started to feel ticked his species wasn't higher on the list.

"Actually it's leopards. Then #12 are bulls." Chuck said. "And #13, the spot I will stop at, are foxes."

Nick, Gideon, and Finnick eyes and ears all twitched from hearing this news.

"So let me get this straight." Nick said as he walked closer to Chuck. "Foxes have to deal with a whole bunch of crude on a daily basis... AND WE AREN'T EVEN IN THE TOP 10?!"

"Uhhh... isn't that a good thing?" Chuck asked.

"Good thing?!" Nick, Gideon, and Finnick shouted out.

"Maybe if we were in the top 5, the bias stuff would be fine." Finnick said.

"But us foxes are only the #13 spot. You don't see signs of everyone else at certain stores." Gideon stated. "It's too frustrated.

"Group fox shout?" Nick asked Gideon and Finnick.

"Group fox shout." Finnick and Gideon said nodded.

"RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The three foxes shouted out loudly. Loud enough to make everyone else cover their ears.

"Jeez! And I thought wolves were loud." Judy said as she held her ears down.

After the 3 foxes quiet down, the kids all heard a knock on the door and a voice.

"Hey, you kids okay in there?" It was Nick's dad, John.

"We're fine. Sorry about that yelling, pop." Nick said for his dad to hear.

John then opened the door and saw how the room was set up and everything.

"Uhh... why is everything set up like courtroom?" John asked. "Wait? are you doing 'The Discussion'?"

"Your dad knows too?" Judy asked.

"You're pretty much the only one who doesn't know." Nick said to Judy.

"If you kids are still busy, then I'll leave you to it." John said before about to close the door.

"Hang on, pop." Nick said halting him.

"What is it, son?" John asked listening to him.

"Did you happen to know that foxes are only rated #13 on the list of most fearful mammals?" Nick asked his dad.

"#13, huh? Honestly, lower than I thought. Well, at least we're not in the #1 spot." John said his usual smile. He then pats his son's head. " Okay, I'm going down. You kids try to keep it down."

"Okay." The kids all went.

John then left the room.

"Huh. That was weird." Finnick said. "Nick, I know your pops is usually a mellow guy, but I thought being a fox too, he would at least be..."

A second later, they heard some loud shouting.

"WE'RE ONLY RATED #13, FRANKIE! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! ONLY #13!" It was John shouted that out from the hallways.

"Nevermind." Finnick said in response to the yelling.

"O... kay..." Benji said awkwardly. "Do... we... really need to keep going? I don't think I want more of _that_ to happen."

"Of course we keep going." Nick and Judy said.

"But this has been getting us nowhere. The two of you are just too stubborn." Falisha said.

"Yeah. All this just to call a bunny cute." Benji said as he whirls his mallet. He then started thinking back at something. "Wait a minute... WAIT A MINUTE!" Benji dropped his mallet in excitement. "I just remember something."

"What's that?" Judy asked.

"Judy, when we first met and I called you cute, you told me that only bunnies can call other bunnies cute." Benji said. "Why is that?"

"Yeah. Why is that?" Falisha asked curiously as well. "If bunnies don't like being called cute, they why would they be okay with other bunnies calling them cute?"

"That's... different." Judy said while scratching her left arm.

"Different how?" Falisha asked.

"When a bunny calls another bunny cute, it's a bunny's way of saying that they think the other bunny is _nice_ or _special_." Judy said while rubbing her arm. "Besides that, that the only time it's okay."

"So wait, bunnies call others bunnies cute as their way of saying that they _like_ them?" Falisha asked.

"Yes." Judy answered.

"But... shouldn't that apply to other mammals too? Falisha asked.

"No. Of course not, because..." Judy said before freezing for a moment. She froze because she started to think. What if the cute rule DID apply to other mammals? If that were the case, then Nick... Thoughts started to come to Judy's mind and as they did, her eyes widen, her ears drooped, and her face went red. She then covered her mouth with her paws as she lightly squealed. "Eeeeeeeek..."

"Woah woah woah! If all of that is true and if it DOES apply to other mammals, then that means..." Finnick said.

At that moment, everyone slowly turned their heads to Nick. As all eyes were on him, Nick was feeling a bit confused.

"What?" Nick said to everyone still not getting it. But as he took two seconds to think,... it finally hit him. Once it did, his face started to turn red. "Ahhh... ahhhhhhh... AHHHHHHHHH!" Nick shouted out as he gets it.

"O... M... GOODNESS!" Everyone else shouted out.

"So Nick, you..." Ronnie said.

"NoIdon't!" Nick said quickly said frantically.

"The reason you call Judy..." Audran said.

"Noit'snot!" Nick said quickly and frantically again.

"It's because you..." Mervin said.

"NO, I DON'T!" Nick shouted out as his face lit up even more.

As Nick tried to deny everything, Judy was still pretty red-faced herself. It never occurred to her that the reason Nick calls Judy cute so many times was because he 'liked' her.

"O...kaaaaaaay. Due to this new development, I think we need a 10-minute recess where everyone, except Nick and Judy, goes out the room, leaving these two to talk." Benji said before banging his mallet.

"Yeah./Totally agree./Definitely./Let's give them some air." Sharla, Kyle, Gareth, and Bobby as they get out their chairs.

The same could be said for everyone else. They all got out their chair and walked out the room. Leaving Nick and Judy to be the only ones there. The fox and bunny just stared at each other awkwardly. They both had no idea what to say to each other. Judy was the first one to break the silence.

"Nick, I..." Judy said trying to get a word in. But then Nick had his finger up implying that he needed a moment.

Nick walked back to the door and then banged on it once. Him and Judy could hear some screaming.

"WAAAAHHHHHHHH!" It was some of the other kids. Apparently, they were close to the door so they could listen in on them.

"Go, everyone." Nick said to everyone who could hear him.

"Fiiiiiiine..." The kids went as footsteps were taken.

It sounded like they actually left this time, so Nick was ready to speak with Judy. Except, Judy wasn't completely convinced they left yet.

"One sec." Judy said to Nick.

Judy walked to the door and then banged on it once like Nick did.

"WAAAAHHHHH!" Shouted out some of the kids again.

"Bunny ears. I know what fake footsteps sound like." Judy stated.

"You know, some people would be thankful to have friends who care about their business." Finnick said from behind the door.

"Just go already."Judy said losing her patience.

"Alright. Alright." Finnick said.

This time, the other kids left for real. NOW Nick and Judy could talk.

"Soooooooo..." Judy said starting to blush a bit.

"Soooooooo..." Nick said blushing as well.

"Is the reason you call me cute..." Judy said as she rubbed her left ear with her paws.

"I didn't know about the whole 'rabbit-like' rule." Nick stated while frantically waving his arms. "I mean, how I was I suppose to know?"

"So, it's not because you 'like' me?" Judy asked.

"Uhhh... I'm not... not saying that I like you, but I'm also not... not saying that I don't." Nick said awkwardly as he scratches the back of his head. "I mean, I do like you. But... uhhh... not in the way you say."

"Oh." Judy said as she stops rubbing her ears.

"Look, things got a bit... overboard." Nick said.

"Understatement." Judy said.

"Listen. You win, Judy. I won't call you cute again." Nick said.

Unbelievable. Nick was the one who wanted to win no matter what. Now he just gave up and let Judy win the argument. You think Judy would be happy. Except, she was.

"Eeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhh..." Judy groaned. "I don't like it."

"What?" Nick said surprised that Judy would say that.

"I don't like it. I don't like you just giving me the win." Judy said.

"But... isn't that what you wanted?" Nick asked.

"Well... after doing some thinking, you were right about a few things. Us bunnies getting riled up because someone calls us cute is... dumb." Judy admitted. "It's not like we're even the cutest mammals out there."

"Is that what you really think?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. It is." Judy said nodding.

"Judy, you're one weird bunny." Nick said with a smile.

"You're not exactly normal either, Slick." Judy said with a smirk.

"How about this? We compromise. I'll lower down on calling you cute, IF you promise the times that I do, you don't get mad." Nick suggested.

"That seems fair." Judy said. "Should have thought of that in the first place."

"It definitely would have put a pin on this craziness." Nick admitted.

"Right." Judy said.

"Say Judy, can I ask you one more thing?" Nick asked.

"What is it?" Judy said.

"Let's say... I did call you cute because I _liked_ you, would that be... okay?" Nick asked blushing a bit.

Judy looked bashful and just rubbed her left ear again.

"Technically, I still don't know if the rule applies to... foxes." Judy said blushing a bit. "But... if it was because you _liked_ me, then I would let it slide."

"Good. Good to know." Nick said with a light smile.

"Alright. Let's get the others and put this all to a close." Judy said eagerly.

"Yeah." Nick said eager as well.

So Nick and Judy decided to call back the others. But as they opened the door, a few of their friends, Benji, Ronnie, Falisha, Bobby, Kyle, Sharla, Gareth, Finnick and Mervin fell down to the floor. The others were away from the door, but still nearby. Clearly, they were listening in again. Nick and Judy just looked at their friends in disappointment.

"Really guys?" Nick said to them.

"We... can explain." Benji pleaded.

"Forget it. Just get off." Finnick said feeling squashed.

"Nick... these are our friends." Judy said with her paw on her face.

"I know." Nick said doing the same.

A few minutes later, everyone came back into the room and sat their seats. Benji was ready to make his final verdict.

"Today has been quite a day. This was differently one of the biggest arguments any of us have been involved in. But at least it's over now." Benji said. "Now, it seems that both Nick and Judy have both come up with a solution, yes?"

"Yes." Nick and Judy both said.

"And you both agree with your terms?" Benji asked.

"Yes." Nick and Judy said smiling.

"Very well. Then I decree that Nick will ease up on calling Judy _cute_ , so long as Judy doesn't get mad at him the times he does." Benji said. "So shall it be said, so shall it be done."

Benji then banged his toy mallet ending the case. Everyone clapped and was glad this was all done now. Especially Nick and Judy, who could finally put this to a rest.

"Now then, since everything is still set up, how about we start our next case?" Benji asked.

"Next case?" Nick and Judy said looking confused.

" _Nick and Judy: Will they or won't they?_ " Benji said with a big smile.

"WHAT?!" Nick and Judy shouted out both turning red-faced again.

"Let's get to it." Benji said as he bangs his mallet down.

The second he did, everyone just started talking and saying things like "They should just date already." or "Who are they fooling?" or "What are they doing to us? They should just admit they like each other.". Course, Nick and Judy were not happy about all this.

"Nick... these are our friends." Judy said with her paw on her face.

"I know." Nick said doing the same.

 **Well, that brings an end to another chapter. Right before Christmas. Might be a while before the next chapter. Need to enjoy the holidays as well as work on a few of my other stories. But this was fun. As always, see ya next chapter.**


	35. Chapter 33: With A Little Luck Part 1

**Chapter 33. First off, I won't be taking any more suggestion for this story. Sorry if that disappoints some people who wanted me to do their suggestions. But I'm at a crucial part of this story and I can't keep doing add-ons. Anyway, it's been a while since we had some tension. You know what that means, do ya? Time to add some drama in the mix. Nothing says drama like a two-parter. Sorry people. Can't always make this a fluff piece. For this chapter, things finally go Nick's way. But as they do, the return of a certain bully tries to take his luck away from him. Can Nick keep his cool and solve his bully problem? Let's find out.**

* * *

In the Hopps house, Nick, Judy, and a few of Judy's siblings were sitting on the couch and watching the classic movie, _Robin Hood_. Robin Hood was one of Nick's favorite movies because it had a fox be the main character. They had just finish watching the movie.

"See? Robin Hood is proof that foxes can be good." Nick said to Judy and her siblings.

"He still stole from the rich." One of Judy's sister stated.

"To give to the poor. Besides that, Prince John was the one stealing money from others. Robin was the one who stole it back." Nick stated.

"He helped the people who couldn't help themselves and made himself public enemy #1 to do it." Judy stated.

"See? Judy get's it." Nick said with a big smile.

The kids then hears a call from behind them. It's was Nick's mom, Frankie.

"Nicky, it's time to go home." Frankie shouted out.

"Oh. There's my cue to leave." Nick said as he jumps off the couch. "See ya, guys!"

"Nick, wait." Judy said as she jumps out the couch and runs to Nick.

"What's up?" Nick asked.

"I got something for you." Judy said happily. "Close your eyes and put out your right arm."

"Okay." Nick said nodding.

Nick did what Judy said and close his eyes and put out his right arm. Judy then took out what looked like a lace and wrapped it around Nick's wrist.

"Okay. You can open your eyes now." Judy said happily.

Nick opened his eyes and looked at what Judy put on his wrist. On the black lace was a clay-made charms. One looked like a blueberry and the other looked like a carrot.

"What's this?" Nick asked.

"It's a bracelet I made for you." Judy told Nick. "It's kinda a good luck charm. It's also a matching set." Judy then showed on her left wrist that she had the same kind of bracelet.

"You made this for me?" NIck asked looking a bit surprised.

"Of course." Judy said with a warm smile. She then started to look bashful with her arm behind her back as she twists her body left and right. "But... you don't have to wear it if you don't want to."

"No. I love it." Nick said liking his gift. "Thank you... for it making it for me."

"You're welcome." Judy said happily.

"Well, got to get going. Mom and Pop don't like to wait." Nick said.

"Right." Judy said. Judy then quickly hugged Nick and quickly let go of him. "Bye, Nick."

"Bye, Judy." Nick said with a smile.

After saying his goodbye, Nick was then on his way out. As many have notice, Nick and Judy seem to get closer and closer with each visit. The two are still very fond of each other's company. Especially if Judy took the time to make Nick a charm bracelet.

As Nick got out of Judy's sight, Judy turned back to the couch with the sly smiles of her siblings.

"What?" Judy asked her siblings.

" _Oh Nick! I made this charm for you._ " One of Judy's sisters said imitating Judy.

" _I love it. Just like I love you._ " One of Judy's brothers said imitating Nick.

Judy started blushing madly. She really hated being teased by her siblings. But she then had a good idea how to get back at them.

"Go ahead. Tease me all you want." Judy replied. "Best thing, at least **I** won't die alone." Judy then walked away with a big smirk on her face. Also leaving a few of her siblings dumbfounded.

"Did... she just turned our teasing into an insult at us?" Judy's brother asked.

"Yes, yes I did." Judy said from a distance.

Meanwhile, Nick made it to his family's car with his mom and dad already in the car, ready to go.

"You took your time, son." John said looking back at Nick from the driver's seat.

"Sorry. Judy wanted me for something." Nick told him.

"What's that on your wrist?" Frankie asked noticing Nick's bracelet.

"Judy made it for me. It's sort of a good luck charm." Nick said to his mom while holding his wrist up.

"Awwww! That's sweet of her." Frankie said happily. "You know, seems like she really cares about you a lot to take the time to make something for you."

"Mom..." Nick said feeling embarrassed by his mom.

"Heehee! I'm just teasing you, sweetie." Frankie said giggling a bit.

"I get enough of that from my friends." Nick said firmly.

"Your mom's just saying that Judy's a great gal and you're lucky that she took the time to make something like that for you." John said happily.

"Pop, are we going or what?" Nick said feeling embarrassed by his dad now.

"As you wish." John said with his paws on the key.

After turning the car on, the Wildes then made their way back home to Zootopia. During most of the ride, Nick looked at his bracelet from Judy. For some reason, it was like it had a certain _lure_ to him. The blueberry and carrot reminded him of the friendship him and Judy had. That... and the fact that blueberries and carrots were their favorite foods.

The next day was a school day. Nick and the other students were in desks as Ms. Rollah taught them. Ms. Rollah then went to the front of the room.

"Okay children, it's time for a pop quiz." Ms. Rollah said to them.

All the children groaned in protest as they hear that. None of them liked the idea of doing a pop quiz. Nick was among one of the kids who didn't want to do a pop quiz.

"Aww man! I don't know if I can even pass this." Nick thought with a worried expression on his face.

Ms. Rollah then started to pass out the papers. "This quiz will prepare you all for the test next week, so be sure you all do your best." Ms. Rollah said to everyone.

As Nick got his paper, he was crazy nervous.

"What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?" Nick thought. He then looked at the bracelet Judy made for him. He lightly touched the blueberry on the charm and started calming down. "Alright, focus. It's just a quiz. You can do this."

"Now... begin." Ms. Rollah said.

Everyone then turned their paper to the front side and began the quiz. As Nick looked at the questions on the test, he thought this.

"Hey! I actually know this stuff." Nick thought eagerly as he gets out his pencil.

Nick then started doing his quiz with some confidence. After a couple of minutes, the quiz was over and Ms. Rollah already finished grading it. She then started passing the quizzes back.

"Most of you did an excellent job on the quiz." Ms. Rollah said as she passed the quizzes to some students. She then stopped at Nick's desk. "Nicholas..."

"Yes, ma'am?" Nick asked.

"Good job again." Ms. Rollah said with a smile as she hands Nick his quiz.

Nick looked at the paper and saw a 100 in red marker. There was also a smiley face in the second zero. Nick excitement went up as he was happy to score another 100.

"AN 100! YES! YES! YES!" Nick shouted out a little overexcited.

"Dial it down a bit." Ms. Rollah said to Nick.

"Sorry." Nick said dialing it back.

"Anyway, keep up the good work. If everyone takes a lesson from you and do well on the next test, I might consider throwing a pizza party for the class." Ms. Rollah said with a smile.

The idea of a pizza party excited everybody. It's said that Ms. Rollah only throws pizza party when everyone in the class does well. Nick might be one of the leading students to make that a possibility. Nick was getting quite a bit of love now. However, it wasn't everyone who was happy.

"No way he actually got a 100 on that quiz! He had to be cheating!" Someone shouted out from the back of the class.

The heckler was the school bully, Darson Coynac. Darson had tried to bully Nick before but was stopped thanks to Nick being with his friends. Nick didn't like Darson's little outburst.

"Darson, that's a horrible thing to suspect." Ms. Rollah said.

"Come on. Don't you think it's weird that Nick's been getting high grades out of nowhere? He must have cheated" Darson claimed.

Nick was getting mad being called a cheater when he really isn't. Yet, Nick kept a calm composure.

"Mr. Coynac, no more outbursts." Ms. Rollah said to Darson.

"Wait, Ms. Rollah." Nick said as he gets up from his desk. "If Darson thinks I cheated, then I just need to prove that I didn't."

"And if you can't, will you take an F?" Darson asked. He was really laying it thick on Nick.

"Fine then." Nick said shrugging.

"Nicholas, you don't have to..." Ms. Rollah said to Nick knowing that he didn't cheat.

"It's fine, Ms. Rollah." Nick said to Ms. Rollah. He then looked at Darson from the back of the class with a wide smirk. "I can totally prove that I didn't cheat."

"Hmph!" Darson grunted.

Nick then walked up to the front of the class.

"Now then, like everyone else, I had absolutely no idea about the pop quiz today." Nick said as he empties his pants and jacket pockets. "No cheat notes on me. So if I _were_ to cheat, the only way two people I could cheat from are my desk neighbors." Nick then pointed at a girl raccoon wearing glasses, a pink shirt, and a blue skirt. "Maisy on my left..." Nick then pointed at a boy lion wearing a blue cap, blue and white striped shirt, and black jeans. "... and Zac on my right. Now even if I were to cheat off them, it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for me to score a 100."

"Why is that?" Darson asked raising his eyebrow.

"May I have everyone's attention to look at their quiz papers." Nick said to his classmates. Everyone did what Nick said and looked at their papers. "While I was finishing my quiz, I notice something on the bottom right of my paper. The words 'Type B'. Now, why would the quiz paper say Type B... unless there is also a Type A." Nick then looked back at Ms. Rollah. "Ms. Rollah, do you mind explaining?"

"Gladly." Ms. Rollah said with a smile. "You see, I gave out **two** different quizzes."

"What?! Two different quizzes?!" Darson said sounding shocked.

"While the questions in both quizzes are the same, they are in completely different orders." Ms. Rollah stated.

"I see. May I ask why is that?" Nick asked with a curiously smile on his face.

"To prevent cheating." Ms. Rollah said.

"To prevent cheating." Nick said. "Maisy, Zac, mind telling me which quizzes you both have?"

"I have Type A." Maisy said.

"I have Type A too." Zac said.

"Well, there you have it, people." Nick said to his class. "If I were to cheat, I would have put down the answers Maisy or Zac put down. But if I did that, my answers would be wrong and I would have had a failing grade. But I didn't. I got a 100. And that proves that within the shadow of a doubt that I, Nicholas Wilde, did not cheat." Nick then bow to his class. "Thank you."

Ms. Rollah and all of Nick's classmates, except for Darson, clapped for Nick. He was actually able to prove that didn't cheat and keep his 100.

"Very good, Nicholas. You put up a strong argument and prove you're innocent." Ms. Rollah said with a smile. "For that, I believe you earn yourself some extra credit for your quiz."

"ALRIGHT!" Nick shouted out happily.

"And you know what, everyone else did good on the quiz too. So, I decided to give the rest of the class extra credit as well. Giving the majority of the class all As." Ms. Rollah said.

Nearly everyone shouted out in excitement. Nick pretty much just gave the whole class passing grades on the quiz. All except...

"Except for Darson because of his rude claims." Ms. Rollah said while looking at Darson. "Also, I would like to see you after class and talk about **your** grade."

Sounds like Ms. Rollah was on to Darson. Turns out he may be the one who was cheating. Not that it did much for him. He only scored a 20 on the quiz.

"Oooooooooooooh!" All the other classmates went while looking at Darson with a sly grin.

If there was one thing Darson hated, it was being insulted and embarrassed in front of the whole class. Darson then hears the whispers of his fellow classmates.

"Can you believe Darson tried to say Nick cheated?"

"Yeah. And he didn't even do good on his test."

"If we don't get the pizza party, we all know who to blame."

Hearing all that stirred up Darson's anger. He crumbled up his quiz paper in anger. "Wilde... I'm gonna make we regret making a fool out of me." Darson thought while glaring angrily at Nick.

A few seconds later, the bell rang. It was time for lunch. The students then got out of their desks, grabbed their backpacks, and made their way to the cafeteria. As they lift the classroom, some of the students graduated Nick.

"Nice job, Nick. You earned that A." Maisy said happily to Nick.

"Oh. Thank you." Nick said not really expecting a compliment.

"Nick, do you think you can help me study for the test next week?" Zac asked. "I really want us to get that Pizza Party."

"Pretty sure we ALL want that Pizza Party." Nick said with a smirk. "Don't worry. I'll be more than happy to help you. Just let me know during the week."

"Thanks, Nick. You're the best." Zac said happily as he pats Nick on the back.

Nick wasn't used to this. Other kids, besides his friends, complimenting him and saying that he's the best. It made Nick felt good. Like, the best he's ever felt in school. As he walks down the hallway humming, some of the other kids that Nick past greeted Nick.

"Hey, Nick!" A goat boy said waving at Nick while passing him by.

"How's it going, Nick?" A girl otter said to Nick while passing him by.

"Nicky! What's up?" A boy tiger said to Nick also passing him by.

Nick stopped walking for a moment. He's never been used to so much attention. Let alone the good kind.

"What's... going on?" Nick thought. "Most of the kids don't even bother to greet me. Yet I just have 3 kids say hi to me. Something's up." Nick then held his left paw up in the air for some reason. "Have to be sure."

Nick had his paw up expecting to get some random high paws. As he did...

"Nick!" A fox boy said high pawing him as he passes by.

"Nick, my man!" A boy beaver said pawing Nick as well.

"Up top, Nick!" A grey boy wolf said pawing Nick like the other two.

At that moment, Nick complete froze up. He just got not one, not two, but **three** high paws from random kids. Not only that, it was like everyone liked Nick now, even with him being a fox. Nick was just dumbfounded by all of this.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Nick shouted out to himself.

Out of nowhere, Nick... was now popular at school.

At the cafeteria, Nick was next in line to get his food. As he went to the dessert part of the line. The buffalo lunch lady was holding a slice of blue velvet cake.

"You're in luck, sweetie. You just got the last slice of blue velvet cake." The buffalo lunch lady said happily as she places the cake slice on Nick's tray.

"Awesome!" Nick said pretty excitedly.

Luck continued to shine on Nick. Good things just kept happily to Nick and he was okay with that. Later, Nick sat with his friends, Benji, Mervin, Ronnie, Audran, Falisha, and Flash at their usual lunch table. While eating their lunch, Nick was telling them about his day so far.

"Seriously guys, I'm having the best day ever." Nick said his friends. "I got a 100 on my quiz, got the class a chance to get a pizza party, got them all extra credit, embarrassed Darson in front of the entire class, everyone seems to like me now, AND I get the last blue velvet cake slice." Nick then uses his fork to cut a piece of his cake off and eat it.

"All in one morning?" Ronnie asked.

"Well, you're usually a lucky fox." Mervin stated.

"But not like this and all in one day." Nick said to everyone. "Seriously, everything that's happened to me so far has been nothing but good."

"Do you know the source of why you're so lucky?" Benji asked.

"How should I know?" Nick asked. "But I'm fine with it." Nick then slouched in his chair with a happy-go-lucky smile. "I'm just gonna ride this good luck stream for as long as I can."

Nick's friends responded with a hearty laugh. They were happy that Nick was happy. But then, something got Mervin's attention. Mervin spotted two boys in the distance. A black and white goat and a lynx. When Mervin saw them he reacted by putting his hood up.

"Aww crud!" Mervin said trying to hide his face.

"What's wrong?" Falisha asked Mervin.

"See that lynx and goat over there?" Mervin said pointing at the two kids. "The goat is Ralf and the lynx is Bryan."

"Ralf and Bryan?" Nick said looking a bit confused.

"Wait? The same Ralf and Bryan that..." Audran said.

"Yes. The same Ralf and Bryan that I stopped being friends with so I could be friends with Nick." Mervin said to his friends while still trying to hide his face. "I haven't really talked to those guys since."

"Well, you better get ready cause it looks like they're coming this way." Ronnie stated seeing them walk closer to them.

"Ah jeez!" Mervin said looking nervous.

Ralf and Bryan then walked to the table and face Nick and his friends. They both seem to have sincere looks on their face.

"Hey... Mervin." Ralf said awkwardly.

"Oh... hello Ralf. Bryan." Mervin said trying not to sound impressed that they came to him. "It's been a while."

"Yeah..." Bryan said as he rubbed his left arm. "Can we talk for a bit? Please?"

"Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of my friends here. My **real** friends." Mervin said firmly as he takes off his hood.

"Yeah!" Nick, Ronnie, Audran, Falisha, and Flash all said crossing their arms. Flash a bit slower than everyone else.

"That's fine. We both really wanted Nick to be here too." Bryan said.

"Mervin, we wanted to say... sorry for what we said before." Ralf said sincerely. This really shocked Mervin and the others. "We never should have told you that if you were gonna be friends with Nick then you weren't gonna be friends with us."

"And Nick, we should have never told Mervin not to be friends with you." Bryan said sincerely as well. "We thought since Nick was a fox that would mean you were sneaky and couldn't be trusted."

"But... we now know that what you are on the outside doesn't apply to who you are as a person. We should have realized that like Mervin did." Ralf said. "So... that's all we wanted to say to you."

"Mervin, Nick, we hope that you can forgive us." Bryan and Ralf said before bowing their heads down.

Nick, Mervin, and the others were shocked by all of what these two said to them. Nick and Mervin especially.

"Oh. Ummm... I suppose I could forgive you two." Mervin said to them. "But only if Nick does."

"It's fine." Nick said to Mervin. "These two did apologize and I can tell they mean it. So... I can let it slide. So long as the three of you are cool now."

"So... we cool, Mervin?" Bryan asked looking worried.

"Yeah. We're cool." Mervin said with a smile.

"*sigh* That's great." Ralf said looking relief.

"Alright. Well then... I'll guess we will see you all around." Bryan said.

With that, Bryan and Ralf left the others to get back with their eating. Mervin was still surprised with everything.

"Wow. Just wow. I didn't see that coming." Mervin said still stunned.

"What do you mean? They apologized." Audran said.

"I know but I didn't expect them to do that today... or ever." Mervin said. "They even said sorry to Nick."

"Once again, my lucky streak continues." Nick said with a smile.

"Okay, something is DEFINITELY up." Benji said firmly. "Nick, for real, how are you so lucky today?"

"Again, how should I know?" Nick said while shrugging. "Nothing different from my usual school days... except..." Nick attention then went to his bracelet. He then realizes that it be that. "My new bracelet!"

"Your... what?" Flash asked.

"It's a bracelet that I got yesterday." Nick said lifting his bracelet up. "It's supposed to be a good luck charm."

"Really? Where did you get it?" Audran asked.

"From an... thrift store in Bunnyburrow." Nick said nervously. He didn't want to say that it was from Judy.

"Hmm. A carrot and blueberry bracelet you got from a thrift store?" Mervin went while rubbing his chin and not buy what Nick says. He then lifted up Nick's arm and sniffed the bracelet.

"Hey!" Nick shouted out not liking being sniffed.

"Dude, this has Judy's scent all over it." Mervin said to Nick with a straight face.

"Oooooooohhh!" Benji, Ronnie, Audran, and Falisha went.

"Alright. Alright." Nick said angrily as he gets Mervin to let go of his arm. "Judy made this for me."

"Why... didn't... you... just... told... us?" Flash asked.

"Cause of your constant teasing." Nick said with a straight face.

"Come on, Nick. You should know us better, eh?" Audran said.

"I know that your constant teasing gets on Judy and me's nerves." Nick stated firmly.

"That's just us messing with you. Lighten up, bud." Mervin said as he lights pat Nick on the back. "Anyway, if that thing really is good luck, think I could borrow it?"

"Nope!" Nick said admittedly shutting Mervin down. "Judy made this for me and only me."

"Hmm. That's why you won't take it off." Mervin said with a sly smirk.

"That's not the reason!" Nick said started to get red-faced.

"Mm hmm." All his friends went with sly grins.

Nick only liked giving other sly grins or getting sly grins from others. They teasing also didn't help. Nick pretty much had enough of it.

"Look! I can take this off anytime I want." Nick said flustered.

"Okay." Benji simply said.

"Cause I will. I'll do it." Nick said still sounding flustered.

"Okay." Benji simply said again.

"Alright. Go for it." Mervin said slightly smirking.

Nick wanted to prove his point to the others. So he was going to take off his bracelet. But... the problem was... he was hesitating. Basically, a sign saying that he _didn't_ want to take it off. Not because it was giving him good luck but because Judy was the one who made it for him. Yet... he didn't want to continue dealing with the others. So he just quickly takes the bracelet out of his arm and places in on the table.

"There. See?" Nick said sounding like he boasting. "No problem."

Benji and the others looked at Nick and could tell that he was looking very uneasy after taking the bracelet off. He was tapping his claws on the table all fidgety.

"You want to put it back on, do ya?" Benji asked.

"So badly." Nick admitted.

"Go ahead." Benji said smiling.

"Thanks." Nick said glad to hear that.

As Nick said that, he was about to grab his bracelet and put it back on. But as he did, someone took the bracelet from the table.

"Yoink!" The thief said.

Surprised by this, the kids looked to see who it was. It was Darson and it looked like he was once again causing trouble for Nick.

"HEY!" Nick said looking angry. "Give that back!"

"What's this suppose to be?" Darson said as looked at Nick's bracelet."You like girly jewelry or something, Wilde?"

"What's it to you? Just give it back." Nick said while getting out of his chair and glaring at Darson. Nick really wanted his bracelet back.

"Hand it over, Darson." Ronnie said in a threating way.

"Wilde, don't think I forgot how you humiliate me." Darson said still pretty mad about that. "You made me look like a fool in front of the whole class."

"You made a fool out of yourself." Nick said firmly at Darson. He then started to smirk. "Not that it takes much to make you look like one."

Nick's friends laughed at the burn that Nick just delivered to Darson.

"Tch! Ngh!" Darson grunted as he gritted his teeth. "You still think you're sooooo smart, do ya?"

"I know I'm smarter than you." Nick said as he continued to smirk.

"Oooooohhhh! Double burn!" Mervin said before chuckling a bit.

"Now, be good for once in your life and give me back my good luck charm." Nick said with his right paw out.

Surprisingly, Darson looked like he was willing to give Nick his bracelet back. Except he wasn't. Instead, he dropped Nick's bracelet down on the ground and then stomped on it.

"Oops!" Darson said sarcastically.

"AHHH!" Nick said with a stun and frighten look on his face.

As Darson moved his foot away from the bracelet, the blueberry and carrot parts of the charm were shattered into tiny pieces. Nick's face was frozen in total shock. Benji and Audran were in total shock as well, Falisha covered her mouth with her paw, Mervin and Ronnie looked mad, and Flash... reacted like everyone else... but slower.

"Not much of a good luck charm to break so easily." Darson said smugly.

"How... how could you?" Falisha said trying not to tear up.

"How could you do that?" Benji said looking sad.

"You... you jerk! Our friend made that for him!" Ronnie said angrily.

"Psh! As if I care." Darson said still smug and shrugging.

While this was all happening, Nick was still frozen in total shock after seeing his good luck charm destroyed. Judy worked hard to make it for him and Darson just had to break it. Some things stirred up inside of Nick. _Rage. Anger._ It was like savage predator side of him wanted to reveal itself. With an angry glare on his face, Nick then lunged at Darson and pushed him down the ground. This... pretty much got the attention of everyone in the cafeteria.

As Nick had Darson pinned down on the ground, he stared down at Darson very angrily. Darson was doing what he could to hold him back.

"Wha... what's your problem?" Darson asked Nick.

"What's **your** problem?" Nick shouted out at Darson. "Apology! Now!"

Darson didn't apology. He just punched Nick on his left side, knocking him off him. But Nick was the kind of fox to stay down. He then growled at hit Darson back. This pretty must lead to the two getting into a fight that the whole cafeteria had their eyes on.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" A kid shouted out.

None of the kids tried to stop the fight. Guess the "Come-up Fox" vs the "Bully Coyote" was too good to stop. Benji was the most worried about this whole fight. He didn't want to see Nick get hurt. Mervin and Ronnie on the other hand, they were hoping that Nick would give Darson a good walloping.

"GET HIM, NICK!" Mervin shouted out cheering for Nick.

"MAKE HIM SORRY!" Ronnie shouted out also cheering for Nick.

Nick and Darson continued to tussle with each other for a while. As they gripped each other's paws and pushed each other back and forward, someone walked over to the two and lifted them both up from the ground. The two boys looked up at the person who was lifting them up and both were in total fear. The same for all the other kids in the cafeteria.

The man was a strong and serious looking Bengal tiger wearing a blue suit and a red tie. Judging by everyone's reaction, he must be important.

"Oh no. It's the principal." Falisha quietly said to the others.

Yep. This tiger was the principal. Also known as Principal Benmer. Most of the kids refer to him as Principal _Hammer_. He is a fair Principal and keeps the school in order. However, if there was ever trouble in his school, he would "Drop the hammer" and stop everything. And it looks like Nick and Darson were on his list as he still held them up in the air.

"Mr. Wilde..." Principal Benmer said looking at a scared Nick. He then switches to looking at an also scared Darson. "Mr. Coynac... my office. After school."

"Yes, sir." Nick and Darson said knowing that they didn't want to say the wrong thing.

Principal Benmer then put Nick and Darson back down.

"Return to your meal, students!" Principal Benmer shouted out. Everyone reacted by going back to their meals and eating them quietly. Principal Benmer then made his leave.

Nick and Darson didn't say anything to each other. They just went back to their tables. As Nick sat back down at his table with his friends, he just had a depressed look on his face. Not only was he in trouble with the principal, but the bracelet that Judy made for him was gone. And maybe the good luck with it.

The Principal's office. The place where most students dredge to go in. It was after school and that where Nick was. Outside the office and waiting on a big bench near the door was Benji, Mervin, Falisha, Flash, Ronnie, and Audran. They were too concern for their friend to leave school yet.

Inside the office was the two boys and their parents. John and Frankie were behind Nick as he sat on his chair. Darson's dad, Bruce Coynac, a black coyote wearing a black sleeveless shirt and blue jeans, was behind Darson as he sat on his chair. They all were in front of the principal's big desk. Principal Benmer already explained to the parents about the fight.

"You now see why I brought you all here today." Principal Benmer said.

"Honestly, Nick doesn't usually do this kind of thing." Frankie said. "Our son always well-behaved."

"I'll take your word for it. But the fact is... Nicholas was still in a fight with Darson today." Principal Benmer said. "So, we need to understand why they were fighting."

"Fair enough." Bruce said. "Darson, you better be honest."

"Right,... dad." Darson said flinching a bit.

"Okay Darson, you explain things first." Principal Benmer said.

"Yes, sir." Darson said. "Nick was the one who jumped me for no reason."

"WHAT?" Nick shouted out looking very angry.

"But that was after he was insulting me in front of his friends." Darson said trying to sound innocent.

"That's bull and you know it!" Nick shouted out losing his temper.

"Nick, calm down." John said easing his son by patting his head.

"Hmm. It seems like things happened different in Nick's perspective." Principal Benmer said. "Nick, would you tell us what happen?"

Nick still had to tell the truth, even if part of it made it sound like he was the bad guy.

"Did I jumped at Darson and knocked him down to the ground? Yes... yes I did?" Nick admitted.

"Nick!" Frankie said surprised that her son said that.

"But Darson had it coming when he was being a jerk." Nick said firmly. "Also, he... broke the bracelet that my friend Judy made."

John and Frankie then looked at each other after Nick said that. Now they both understand why Nick did what he did. It was because Darson broke his bracelet.

"Judy is Nick's friend who lives in Bunnyburrow. The two of them have become really close." John stated to the Principal.

Frankie digs into her purse and takes out a photo. "Here's a picture of the two of them." Frankie said as she handed the photo to Principal Benmer.

Principal Benmer looked at the picture of Nick and Judy together smiling and looking happy.

"I see. So Nick's reason for lunging at Darson was because he broke a trinket that he had from someone who was close to him. A detail Darson didn't include." Principal Benmer said while glaring at Darson.

"Darson, is this true?" Bruce asked his son.

"N... no! Nick's lying." Darson said sounding hesitant.

"Our son is no liar." Frankie said defending her son.

"Are you calling my son one?" Bruce said defending his son.

"It seems both boys are sticking with their stories. However, most of the proof sides with Nick here." Principal Benmer said. "But to confirm things better..." The principal then looked at Nick. "Nicholas, those are your friends outside, correct?"

"Yes, sir." Nick said.

"I like to hear what they have to say." Principal Benmer said.

It looked like the principal wanted to get the stories from Nick's pal about what happened today. The first person was Benji, who was pretty much a nervous wreck. But who wouldn't be when you're in the principal's office.

"Benjamin, tell me what happened with the fight today." Principal Benmer said. "Also, be sure you only tell me the truth."

"O... okay!" Benji said sounding nervous and twiddling his paws. "Darson took Nick's new lucky bracelet and stomped on it. That's when Nick mad and jumped him. He broke his bracelet. It was a shame too. Judy made that for him."

"Do you know this Judy, Mr. Clawhauser?" Principal Benmer asked.

"Yes. She's a grey bunny who lives in Bunnyburrow." Benji answered. "She visits us here in Zootopia almost every weekend. Sometimes we visit her."

"Sound like your good friends with Judy like Nicholas here." Principal Benmer said.

"Of course." Benji said happily. "The two of them brought us all together. We trust the two of them more than anything and I'm sure the two of them would do the same."

With Benji's honest tone, Principal Benmer could tell that Benji was telling the truth. He could also tell that Benji really valued Nick as a friend.

"I see. Thank you, Benjamin. You may go." Principal Benmer said giving Benji permission to leave.

"Yes, sir." Benji said before bowing. He then made his leave.

The next person to come in was Mervin. Unlike Benji, Mervin didn't really look nervous or scared. Maybe a bit peeved after what Darson did.

"Mervin, can you tell us about the fight today?" Principal Benmer asked.

"I can, sir." Mervin said. "Simply put, Nick went at Darson because he broke Nick's good luck charm. It was made by Judy."

"Oh. So you know this Judy too?" Principal Benmer asked.

"Yeah. We all do." Mervin answered. "Her and Nick are pretty tight. Closer than anyone could be and they don't let the fact that they are a fox and a rabbit bother them."

"I see." Principal Benmer said. "So from what I been told, Nick really cared about having his bracelet. But if that was the case, why did he take it off?"

"I... think I'm one of the ones to blame for that." Mervin admitted while having a twitch in his eye. "See, sometimes we... tend to tease Nick and Judy a bit cause of their closeness. Nick felt offended he thought he needs to take off the bracelet to prove a point. He would never have taken it off otherwise." Mervin then looked at Nick. "Sorry, Nick."

"It's okay." Nick said forgiving Mervin.

Mervin was glad Nick wasn't mad at him. Still, he felt that he still own Nick. Mervin faced Principal Benmer to say something to him.

"Principal Benmer, listen. If Nick gets in trouble for the fight, then..." Mervin said before pausing for a few seconds. "... allow me to take his place."

"What?" Principal Benmer said surprised to hear that.

"He would actually take the blame for him?" Darson thought also surprised to hear that.

"If Nick did get in trouble, why would you take his place?" Principal Benmer asked Mervin.

"Cause Nick's my friend. He's done a lot for me and I owe it to him." Mervin said.

Principal Benmer was surprised by Mervin's valor to admit part of the fight was his fault, let alone take the blame for him. It showed that Mervin really cared for Nick as a good friend.

"I see. I'll take everything you said accounted for, Mr. Howlino." Principal Benmer to Mervin. "You may go."

"Okay." Mervin said before bowing and leaving the room.

The third person to come into the office was Falisha. Falisha had a calm expression on her face. Which was different from Benji and Mervin's.

"Now Falisha, you are one of the school's prized students. But you are also good friends with Nicholas, correct?"

"Yes, Principal Benmer." Falisha said boldly.

"First let me ask, do you know Judy as well?" Principal Benmer asked.

"Of course. She's Nick's bunny friend from Bunnyburrow. Well... actually... she my friend too. We're kinda girls." Falisha happily stated.

"I see. So from what I have been told, the reason why Nicholas started a fight with Darson was that Darson broke his bracelet. But what was Darson's reason to do that?" Principal Benmer asked Falisha.

"Right because he would need a motive. He actually did had a reason." Falisha said. "Nick told us earlier that he had a pop quiz in class today and score a 100."

"He did? Congratulations!" Frankie said happy for her son getting a good grade.

"Honey, I don't think this the appropriate time." John said to his wife.

"Right. Continue, Falisha." Frankie said to Falisha.

"Anyway, Nick said Darson thought the only way for Nick to get that grade was if he cheated and if he didn't prove he didn't cheat he would get take an F." Falisha stated. "But Nick was able to prove himself and even scored him and the whole class extra credit. Except for Darson because of his outburst. That sounds like enough to be a motive, right?."

"Ahh..." Darson said starting to looking worried.

Darson's dad, Bruce, started to look a bit angry. "Darson, what grade did you get on your quiz?" Bruce asked sounding serious.

"Dad, I..." Darson said trembling a bit.

"What grade?" Bruce asked sounding even more serious.

"... I... got a 20." Darson admitted.

A 20 is NOT a good grade to get. Bruce looked pretty mad at his son.

"We'll take about _that_ later." Bruce angrily whispered to his son.

"So, Darson did had a reason to be angry with Nicholas." Principal Benmer said.

"Yeah. And... if you need more proof..." Falisha said before digging into her pocket. She then walked up to the desk and placed down the remains of Nick's bracelet. The string and the broken fragments from both charms. Falisha looked sad as she put it on the desk. "... Nick's broken bracelet."

Nick quivered a bit. He didn't want to be reminded of the sight of his broken good luck charm again.

"Sorry, Nick." Falisha said sincerely to Nick.

"I think you said enough for us." Principal Benmer said to Falisha. "Thank you. You may go."

"Should I bring one of the others?" Falisha asked.

"That won't be necessary. I think we have all we need." Principal Benmer said.

With that said, Falisha left the room. Now it was just the principal, the two boys, and the parents.

"I believe I can finally come to a decision on this whole thing. After hearing from everyone, I would say that the victim to all this was Nicholas." Principal Benmer stated.

Darson was pretty mad to hear that he consider Nick as the victim of him.

"What?!" Darson shouted out.

"What Nicholas and his friends said all go incohesive with each other. Clearly they were telling the truth." Principal Benmer said.

"But he was the who..." Darson said getting really angry.

"Enough, Darson." Bruce said firmly while crossing his arms. "You're only making things worse for yourself."

"But dad..." Darson pleaded.

"I said **enough**!" Bruce said sounding very serious. Not wanting to upset his father even more, Darson kept his mouth shut.

"Now then, Darson... sad to say, but this will have to go on your record." Principal Benmer said to the coyote.

"But Nick was the one who attacked me first." Darson stated angrily.

Principal Benmer reacted by slamming his right fist hard on the desk. This pretty much made everyone else in the room jump. That slam was one of the reasons the students in school call him Principal _Hammer_.

"And you were the one who gave him a reason to." Principal Benmer said sounding and looking like he lost his patience with Darson. "Listen, this has nothing to do with Nicholas being a fox or you being a coyote. It's about what you do. That's how I want this school to be. Nicholas here has been an excellent student. He's well-behaved, his grades are good and improving, and up until today, he never got into any trouble. You, on the other hand, this isn't the first time you've been in my office."

"Uhhhhhh..." Darson went looking worried.

"You bully other students, cause trouble, and your grades have been at an all-time low." Principal Benmer stated to Darson. "Today proves no different. Time and time again, I told you to shape up. But you still continue. I'm at wit's end with you. So I'm telling you for the _last time_ , straighten up or else we may have to come up with something less lenient _._ " Principal Benmer then gave Darson a scary looking glare. "Do I make myself clear, Mr. Coynac?"

This was the second reason why students called him Principal _Hammer_. When Principal Benmer speaks in a serious tone, it was like being struck by a hammer. The only thing Darson could do was give in.

"Yes, sir." Darson said with his head down.

Principal Benmer then looked at Nick. "Now Nicholas, you're are not in trouble _this time_. Consider this a warning. You may not get a second one. Understand?" Principal Benmer said.

"Yes, sir." Nick said also with his head down.

"Now, at this school, we like for the parents to decide what the troubled student's punishment should be." Principal Benmer told them.

"Since Darson was the one causing trouble for your son, I think it's best you come up with his punishment." Bruce said to John and Frankie.

"The last boys who hurt our son, we made them clean up my shop for a month. This is a bit less than what they did." John stated. "So let's say... for the rest of this week. Last day, Saturday."

"That works." Bruce said. "Hear that, Darson? You help clean the shop for the rest of the week, got it?"

Darson just responded by grunting. Nick didn't seem that fond of the idea either.

"Ehhh. Last day, Saturday? Our meeting's on Saturday. Man, I don't want to deal with him for one day, let alone the rest of the week." Nick thought.

"Alright, that's all. You may all take your leave." Principal Benmer said to everyone.

With those words, they all left the principal's office. Bruce looked like he was going to have a long talk with Darson as they passed Benji and the others. The Wildes came out of the office next. All of Nick's friends were happy to see him out. Benji lifted up Nick and hugged him. A bit too tight.

"Nick! Thank goodness you're out." Benji said happily.

"Ben, too much!" Nick said not liking being hugged so tight.

"Oops! Sorry!" Benji said as he puts Nick down.

"Glad to see you're out, buddy." Mervin said happily with his arm on Nick's shoulder. "We were worried that you wouldn't come out."

"Thanks. Good to know you guys care." Nick said with a smile.

"So... are you in trouble?" Falisha asked looking concern.

"But most importantly, am **I** in trouble?" Mervin said looking worried about himself. "I'd say I would take the shot for you, but..."

"No. No one's in trouble." John said to them. "Except for that Darson kid. He'll be helping around the shop this week. Nick was able to get a warning thanks, you kids."

"It's so nice that our Nick has such good friends. Thank you all for looking out for our son." Frankie said with a smile.

"It's no problem, ma'am." Benji, Mervin, Ronnie, Audran, and Falisha said while standing up straight like army soldiers. Flash did the same, but slower.

"Heehee!" Frankie laughed. She thought it was a little funny how they take Nick's friendship so serious.

"Now you kids all go on home. You parents might get worried." John said to them.

"Yes sir, Mr. Wilde sir." Benji, Mervin, Ronnie, Audran, and Falisha said while saluting. Once again, Flash did the same, but slower.

The kids then waved at Nick and said their goodbyes as they left. So now Nick and his parents were the only ones in the hallway. Nick started to look very nervous. This was one of the first real times Nick's gets in this kind of trouble and was worried what his parents thought of him.

"Mom, Pop, I want to say... I'm..." Nick said as he rubbed his arm.

"Nick, you don't need to say anything." John said as he gets down on his knees. "You not in trouble either. Your mother and I understand why you did what you did. So we don't blame you."

"But Nick, you need to understand, you can't just let your anger get the best you. You were only lucky that you didn't get into more trouble." Frankie said to Nick.

"It's good to know that you cared for Judy's gift, but be sure to keep that anger in check next time." John said to Nick.

"Right, pop. I promise not to get in trouble at school again." Nick said sincerely.

"Good boy." John said as he patted his son's head. "Now let's head home."

John stood back up and held Nick's right paw. Frankie did the same with Nick's left paw and they made their way down the hallway. As they exit and make it to the front of the school, they notice that Darson and his dad were still here. Bruce still look pretty steamed with his son.

"You just like cause trouble, do you?" Bruce asked his son. "Darson, you can't keep doing this. You need to change yourself. No more of this. Understand?" Darson didn't respond. He just looked away from his father. "Can't you see I'm just looking out for you? I know you can be better than this." Darson still didn't respond. "*sigh* We'll talk more about this at home. Come on."

Bruce then walked and Darson followed. The Wildes happen to hear the majority of the conversation.

"Hmm. I hope that boy can change... for his own sake." John said.

"Darson..." Nick thought. He still didn't like Darson, but he couldn't understand why he acts the way he does. Could he even change or was he too deep in to do that? That's what ran through Nick's head.

The next day, after school, Nick decided to hang out with Finnick for a bit downtown. The two foxes went out for a slice of cheese pizza and ate them while sitting on some stairs on a building by a street corner. Nick took a few furious bites out of his slices. Finnick could tell that Nick was pretty mad.

"Uhhh... you alright, Nicky?" Finnick asked looking concern.

"Ugh! It's stupid Darson! Why does he have to be such a jerk?" Nick said all flustered as he chews his pizza.

"I know. You have been telling more for the past 30 MINUTES!" Finnick said hearing enough.

"Sorry. Just still mad at him after yesterday." Nick said. "That and he's currently at the shop cleaning up as his punishment. I don't feel like seeing his face. That's why I'm here with you."

"Needed to blow some steam? I feel ya." Finnick said before taking a bite out of his slice of pizza. "So if I got everything right, Darson was peeved at you for showing him up in class and then he broke the charm that bunny girl made for you to get back at you. You got ticked and the two of you brawled. Honestly, I would have done the same thing you did."

"So you get why I don't want to be near him?" Nick said to Finnick.

"I get that you're trying to avoid him but I think for you it's... weird." Finnick said.

"Weird? What do you mean?" Nick asked.

Finnick took another bite of his pizza before speaking to Nick. "Are you usually the kind of fox that tries to understand people and help them change? That's what you did with Gid, Chuck, and the others." Finnick said with a mouth full of pizza.

"Yeah... but Darson is different." Nick stated. "I mean I wasn't the only kid he bullied in class or school. But after yesterday, I'm pretty sure I'm on the top of his list."

"Lucky you..." Finnick said with sarcasm.

"Don't mention luck." Nick said in a bit of a serious tone. He still wasn't over losing his good luck charm from Judy.

"Sorry, man." Finnick said knowing Nick was still down.

"Just when things were finally looking up." Nick said with his head up. "Other kids were starting to like me. Then I just pick a fight with the school bully. Now what's everyone gonna think about me?"

"Don't worry about that." Finnick said to Nick. "Ben told me he and the others did damage control. Plus it helped that Darson was already the school bully."

"That's a little relieving but... I just didn't want people to see that side of me." Nick said.

"Look, just know... I'm here for you if you need anything, Nicky." Finnick said sincerely.

"Thanks." Nick said but still looked upset. "Just how am I gonna tell Judy?"

Nick felt that if he told Judy that he already got the bracelet she made for him broken, it would break her heart. That's the last thing Nick would ever what to do. But it wasn't like he had a choice. Sooner or later, he would have to tell her.

Later that day, after Darson had already done his work for the day, Nick came back to his home. After having dinner, he decided to call Judy and tell her everything that happened yesterday.

"Can't believe jerks like this Darson guy even exist." Judy said from the other line sounding pretty mad.

"Tell me about it." Nick said.

"Thinking that you cheated cause you got a 100 on a quiz was one thing. But insulting you in front of the others and picking a fight with you. That's too far." Judy said firmly. "You're not too hurt, are you?"

"Don't worry about me, Carrot. I'm totally fine." Nick said happily. "Can't say the same for Darson."

"Well... good to hear you're okay." Judy said sounding relieved. "Also, I'm happy that my bracelet gave you such good luck. You're still wearing it, right?"

Nick quivered a bit when Judy asked that. He then reached into his pocket and took out the remains of the bracelet. He got them back before he left Principal Benmer's office.

"Yeah... Of course." Nick said trying to sound normal.

"Nick... are you okay?" Judy asked sounding concerned. "It took you a while to answer."

"S... sorry! I'm just a bit... *yawns*... tired. It is pretty late right now and a school night." Nick stated. "Anyway, we may have to deal with Darson on Saturday, so be careful around him."

"Alright. Thanks for the heads up." Judy said. "I think that's all for now. See you on Saturday, Slick."

"See ya Saturday, Carrots." Nick said with a light smile and before hanging up. He then did a big sigh of depression.

He couldn't tell her. Nick just couldn't tell Judy the truth about the bracelet breaking. Mainly cause he not only blames Darson for breaking it but himself for taking it off.

"Judy... I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me." Nick thought with a sad and depressed look on his face.

He may not have told her now. But sooner or later, the truth would have to come out.

 **That's the end of Part 1. Brace yourselves. Part 2 is gonna be even more drama. The Zoo-Burrow Scouts Meeting is gonna be on the same day as Darson's last day cleaning around the shop. No doubt that there is gonna be a few... conflicts. Is there a reason why Darson acts the way he does and will Judy forgive Nick for losing the bracelet she made? Stay tuned for Part 2.**


	36. Chapter 34: With A Little Luck Part 2

**Chapter 34. WARNING! WARNING! INTENSE DRAMA BOMB OF A CHAPTER! Hope you guys are ready for Part 2 of "With A Little Luck". Last chapter, Nick's bully, Darson, broke the lucky bracelet that Judy made for him. They got into a fight and then had to go to the Principal's Office. Nick got off with a warning, but Darson was punished by cleaning around the store for a week. But his last day just happens to be the same day as The Zoo-Burrow Scouts meeting and Judy's visit. So no doubt that there's gonna be conflict with Nick and Darson and even some with Judy. The question is... will everything work out in the end? Little heads up, some of you might actually cry a bit. I almost did a few times and I freaking wrote it. Let's start the chapter and find out. Also, this story... JUST HIT 400 FAVES! I am filling so much love right now from all you guys. Thank you. I'll be sure to keep this up and do my best for this story. One more thing, remember what I said last chapter. I'm not taking any more suggestions for a chapter in this story. The next parts of this story are crucial and I have no time for add-ons. Now on with the story.**

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On a train to bound to Zootopia was Judy, her mom, Bonnie, and Gideon. Stu was too busy with things at the farm to visit this week. So it was just Bonnie. Judy already had on her police costume while Gideon was in his Scout Uniform. Judy was just looking out the window with like she has something on her mind. It was the call she had with Nick.

"Nick... it might just be me, but he sounded different on the phone. Like something was up and he didn't want to tell me." Judy thought. She then started looking at her bracelet. Similar to the one that she gave Nick.

"Judy, are you alright?" Gideon asked from the seat across her.

"Huh?" Judy said turning to Gideon.

"You looked like you had your head in the clouds." Gideon stated.

"Sorry." Judy said to Gideon. "Hey Gideon, do you remember what I told you about?"

"Bout that Darson kid? Yeah." Gideon said nodding. "You said he got into a fight with City Boy and now he's cleaning up Mr. Wilde's shop for the week."

"That's the thing. According to Nick, he's supposed to be there." Judy stated. "The way Nick talked about him, I don't think I want to meet this guy."

"He's a bully, right? Bullies don't bully without a reason. Trust me, I know." Gideon stated. "If he's as bad as City Boy says, then we just need to find out why."

"Guess it pays to be a former bully, huh?" Judy said with a grin.

"It had it's ups and downs." Gideon said boldly.

A few minutes later, the train stopped at the Zootopia train station in Downtown Zootopia. They got out the train and each made their way to the Wilde's home. Bonnie knocked on the door two times and Frankie opened it.

"Hello, Frankie." Bonnie said greeting the fox mother.

"Hey, Bon!" Frankie said happily to see her. "Judy, Gideon, I hope you too are well."

"Hey, Mrs. Wilde." Judy said greeting her.

"Pleasure to see ya again, ma'am." Gideon said tipping his hat.

"Come on it." Frankie said opening up the door for them.

Bonnie, Judy, and Gideon all came inside.

"Sorry that Stu couldn't be here. We are at the point of the year where product sales for the farm are crucial." Bonnie said to Frankie.

"That's fine." Frankie said to Bonnie. She then had her attention on Judy and Gideon. "Judy, Gideon, Nick and the others are already down in the basement."

"Alright. Thank you." Judy said politely.

Judy and Gideon made their way to meet up with the others in the basement. But as they did, they paused and stopped walking for a moment. From a distant, they spotted John with a young coyote boy lifting up some small box. The young coyote was no doubt, Darson.

"You can put that over there." John said to Darson while pointing at a corner.

"Okay, Mr. Wilde." Darson said putting the box down on the corner.

Judy slightly froze up at the sight of him. She also grabbed on to her left arm tightly. She didn't need to guess that the coyote was Darson.

"That must be Darson." Judy whispered to Gideon.

"So that's the guy? I can tell just by looking at him he the kind of kid who bullies others." Gideon whispered back to Judy.

A second later, Judy's eyes met with Darson's. It was a bit of a shock for both of them. But one look and they both knew who each other were. John noticed Judy and Gideon and walked to greet them.

"Ahh. Judy. Gideon. Good to see you." John said with a smile.

"Good to see you, Mr. Wilde." Judy said greeting John.

"Howdy, sir." Gideon said greeting John as well.

"Nick and the others are already downstairs." John told them. He then looked at Darson, "Darson, I need to get something from my counter. Mind cleaning the windows?"

"Okay." Darson said surprisingly taking John's orders.

As John left, Judy, Gideon, and Darson were alone for a while. Judy had this weird crawling feeling while being near Darson. But she glared at him with vigor.

"So... you're Darson?" Judy asked the coyote.

"And you're Judy." Darson responded. "You're actually real? I'm surprised. Guess Wilde was telling the truth."

"Nick has no reason to lie about our friendship." Judy said firmly.

"Just saying, most bunnies, let alone the one in Bunnyburrow, aren't too friendly with foxes. I'm surprised you're not running from Wilde or the fox next to you." Darson said with a grin.

Judy growled in anger at what Darson said. "You know, you're not the first person to say something like that to me. But I do hope you're the last." Judy said angrily to Darson.

With that said, Judy left to meet up with Nick and the others. Gideon was going to follow her but wanted to speak with Darson first.

"So, you're the guy that bullies your school." Gideon said to Darson.

"What's it to you, fox?" Darson said to Gideon.

"Nothing. Just looking at someone I was a lot like." Gideon said.

"Funny, since I'm not a fox nor do I have an accent." Darson said mocking Gideon with a southern accent.

"Look, take it from a former bully to a current bully. The longer you take to straighten up, the most regrets you will have for the long haul." Gideon said seriously to Darson.

Darson looked like he didn't like hearing Gideon's words. Yet he couldn't ignore that there was some truth in his words.

"I got windows to clean." Darson said as he walks away from Gideon.

"I'll leave you to it." Gideon said.

Darson's not the kind of person who would let someone get into his fur. The only mammal to ever do that was Nick. So you can guess that Darson didn't want to hear from another fox.

As Judy walked down the basement stairs, she was greeted by Nick, Finnick, Gazelle, Mervin, Falisha, Ronnie, Audran, and Flash. They were all in their scout uniforms.

"Hey, Judy!" Everyone said greeting the bunny.

"Hey, everyone." Judy said happily to everyone.

Nick then whispered something to everyone else.

"Remember, **not** to tell Judy about what happened to the bracelet." Nick whispered to the others. They responded by nodding their heads. Nick then walked over to Judy. "Hey, Carrots! Good to see ya." Nick said trying not to sound nervous.

Nick then walked over to Judy and unexpectedly hugged her. Judy felt weird about this since Nick and she **never** hug each other in front of their friends.

"Nick, you're hugging me... in front of everyone else." Judy said feeling awkward about it.

"Oh." Nick said as he quickly let goes of her. "Sorry." Nick then scratched the back of his head. "I'm just really happy to see you."

"Okay." Judy said understanding. Then something else came to Judy's attention. Nick's wrist. She noticed that Nick wasn't wearing the bracelet. "Nick, you're not wearing the bracelet I made for you."

That was when Nick started to feel the pressure on him. He still didn't have the chance to tell Judy that Darson broke the bracelet. As he grips to spot in his wrist where his bracelet was, he had to quickly come up with a believable excuse.

"Oh. Ummm... you see... the others were teasing me too much about the bracelet after I told them you made it for me." Nick said putting his friends under the bus.

"Whaaa..." Everyone else, except for Gazelle, went. But they quickly got over it since part of that was actually true. And the fact that they did own Nick.

"I took it off for the time being. Don't worry. I'll put it back after the meeting." Nick said to the others.

Judy started rubbing her chin a bit. She felt that something was up with what Nick said. But she was willing to take his word.

"Well... alright." Judy said to Nick. "It must have been hard for you dealing with everyone's teasing for the whole week."

"Trust me, it was." Nick said with a smirk as he looks at the others.

"Still, I think I'll keep mine on." Judy said as she shows off her bracelet.

"If you want to." Nick said to Judy.

Gideon then enters the room.

"Hey, y'all!" Gideon said as he came down the stairs.

"You took your time, Country Boy." Nick said to Gideon.

"I was having some words with that coyote upstairs." Gideon told Nick. "Was that the guy, City Boy?"

"So Carrots already told you." Nick said not sounding surprised. "Yeah. That's Darson Coynac."

"AKA, Pawside's top bully." Ronnie stated with his arms crossed.

"Also the same guy who Nick got into a fight with." Finnick stated.

"You still okay, right Nick?" Judy asked looking worried for her friend.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Carrots?" Nick said while petting Judy's head.

"You always tell me that but that's what makes me worry about you the most." Judy said looking concern. "Also don't pet me."

"Alright." Nick said as he does what Judy says.

"So... Darson didn't say anything bad about you, right?" Falisha asked.

"Nothing I can't handle." Judy said boldly.

"Same for me." Gideon said.

"We still want to know what his deal is though." Judy said.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Nick said shrugging. "Let's not worry about it now. We got a meeting to begin."

"But isn't Chuck, Wilfred, Darwin, Phillip, and Ed also suppose to be here?" Benji asked.

"Yeah. Where are those five?" Mervin asked noticing that they weren't here yet.

At that moment, they started to hear a commotion upstairs. The kids thought something was going on. It sounded a bit like trouble.

"What's going on?" Judy asked after hearing the commotion.

"Come on!" Nick said to everyone as he climbs up the stairs.

Everyone else follows Nick to see what's going on upstairs. No surprise that the commotion was Darson's doing. But also in the store was Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed. The five boys looked a bit frightened while Darson looked pretty ticked off.

"You five have some nerve showing up here." Darson said after growling.

"Look. We don't want any trouble, Darson." Chuck said with his paws up meaning no harm.

"Well, you have some nerve after what you did." Darson said angrily. "I heard all the rumors about you five. Don't think I'm gonna turn my back on ya and let you just walk away."

"We already told you. We're not here to cause trouble." Phillip said.

"Likely story." Darson said not believing them.

As things were starting to get heated, Nick got into the middle of them and broke up the argument.

"Enough!" Nick said with his paws blocking them from getting closer. "There's no need for this at my pop's shop."

"You're kidding, right?" Darson said to Nick. "Do you even know who these punks are?" Darson then stopped and looked for a moment. He looked at Nick in his scout uniform, his friends in theirs, and then back at Chuck and the others. Once he did that, he realized what was up. "Wait? Don't tell me... you're actually friends with them, are you Wilde?"

Nick growled in response. Darson then had a sinister grin on his face.

"Well, this is brand-new information." Darson said with the grin. "Turns out the current **most-liked** student in school is friends with the 5 **most-hated** students in school." Darson then lightly scratched his chin. "Hmm, I wonder what will happen in your credibility if I told everyone at school?"

"Grrrrrrrrr..." Nick growled in anger. The last thing Nick wants is to have everyone think he's just an untrustworthy fox again.

"Back off, Darson." Mervin said to Darson in a threating matter. "If you don't stop, then we'll tell Mr. and Mrs. Wilde on you."

"Fine. Fine." Darson said backing down. "I still got windows to clean anyway. So I'm just gonna take this little information and put it in my back pocket for now." Darson had a sly grin on his face as he said that.

Darson then walked away and went to clean up the windows. The coyote kinda left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth.

"Man, I can't believe that guy." Audran said angrily.

"Maybe it was a bad idea for us to come here." Darwin said sadly.

"Maybe we should go." Chuck said not wanting to be a burden.

"No. It's fine." Nick said to Chuck and his boys. "What he says doesn't bother me even the slightest."

"Not like most people will take his word anyway." Ronnie said.

"Let's all head down to our little HQ and begin our meeting." Judy said to everyone.

Everyone agreed with Judy and all made their way down to the basement. Nick was the last to head down. But before he did, Nick looked at Darson again as he was cleaning the windows with some cleaner fluid and a cleaning cloth. He was still puzzled about what's Darson deal with him was. But he would have to worry about that later.

A couple of minutes later, Nick, Judy, and the others were still doing their meeting. However, they didn't really have much to talk about. Darson was pretty much the main topic of discussion. A while later, some knocking came from the door.

"Nicky, can you come up here for a second?" It was Nick's dad, John.

"Sure thing, pop." Nick shouted out. He then turned to everyone else. "I'll be right back."

"Wonder what your dad wants?" Judy asked sounding curious.

"Beats me." Nick replied.

Nick walked upstairs and went to talk to his dad near the shop counter. Nick was pretty curious why his dad called him up for.

"What it is, pop?" Nick asked his dad.

"Nick, I have a special order for a client and I realize that I short on twine and other supplies. I need to go into town for a while and your mom and Mrs. Hopps went out. So I want you and your friends to be good while I'm gone." John said to Nick.

"Wait? You want to leave us here... with Darson?!" Nick asked already not liking the sound of things.

"It's just for a few minutes. Less than an hour. Tops." John said.

"Is the police on speed dial?" Nick asked making a gesture.

"Nick, listen." John said as he got on his knees and put his arm on Nick's shoulder. "I know that this might be hard for you, but I need you to at least try and get along with Darson. You can't just keep avoiding him."

During the whole week, Nick did what he could to stay away from Darson. Not just during school but after school as well. Whether it was hanging out with his friends or sleeping over at their houses. Today was pretty much unavoidable.

"Pop, I really don't think that this is a good idea." Nick said to his dad. "Darson really has it out for me."

"I know. So you just need to change that." John said. "Believe it or not, the boy's actually a hard worker. He followed all my orders with no questions asked and even did them properly. I feel that it's still not to late for the boy to chance."

"But he makes it so hard." Nick stated. "I still don't know if I could do this."

"Come on, Nicky. At least this for your pop." John said.

John was the kind of father that would do anything for his son. So it goes to say that Nick was the kind of son that would do anything for his father.

"Alright, pop. I'll try. For you." Nick said with a smile.

"Good boy." John said happily as he rubbed his son's head. He then hugged Nick. "I promise I'll be back in a few."

"Okay, pop." Nick said hugging his father back.

As John and Nick hugged, Darson happen to get a glance at this site. He had a mixed expression on his face. It was a mix of anger... and sadness. Maybe even a bit of jealousy.

About a minute later, John put up the "Be Back in A Hour" sign on his door and left the shop in Nick's care. As Nick said goodbye to his dad, he knew he had to keep his promise to him and try to get along with Darson. The idea still felt like an impossibility to him. But he at least needs to find out why he was the way he was. He might have a chance to so sooner than he thought. Darson walked over to Nick to speak with him.

"Hey, Wilde?" Darson said to get Nick's attention.

"What?" Nick said as he turns to Darson.

"You and your old man, are you close?" Darson asked.

"What's it to you?" Nick asked with a hint of smiting. "But if you really must know, yeah. Pop and I are as close as a father and son could be."

"Hmm. Must be nice." Darson said.

"You don't have that with your dad?" Nick asked.

"Tch! All I do is get in trouble. If anything, I more of a burden to him." Darson said as he turns his head.

"Oh." Nick said a bit surprised to hear that. Not that it wouldn't be true. Most parents aren't too proud of their children turning into bullies. "Well, what about you and your mom?"

Darson expression changed to a more serious one. "I rather not even talk about my mother." Darson said angrily. He didn't say anything else to Nick. He just walked away and did some more cleaning. This felt odd to Nick.

"That was weird. Does he have some kind of issue with his mother?" Nick thought. Nick kept this bit of information in his mine.

Later, Nick goes back down to the basement to speak with the others about what his dad said to him about Darson.

"Guys, I can't believe I'm saying this... but we need to try to get along with Darson." Nick said to everyone.

"WHAAATTT?!" Everyone else, except Gideon, shouted out.

"Nick, are you for real?" Mervin asked.

"Pop says that it's not too late for him to change. The least we could do it help him change." Nick said.

"But this is Darson we are talking about." Ronnie said.

"He's not just gonna change because we want him to." Audran stated.

"But isn't our motto 'We always see the good in others. Not for what they are, but who they are.'?" Gazelle asked. "Shouldn't we try to see the good in Darson?"

"Again, this is Darson we are talking about." Ronnie said.

"Yeah. You don't know him much because you don't go to our school, Gazelle. But we can tell you that Darson isn't the kind of person who would change." Mervin said firmly.

"I was a bully until Nick helped me change." Gideon stated.

"Uhh... well... you're different." Mervin said nervously.

"We were muzzling innocent predators until Nick set us straight." Chuck said.

"How is what we did that different from Darson?" Wilfred asked.

"Uhhh... ummm..." Mervin couldn't come up with anything to say.

"Guess when you put it that way, Darson just needs someone, like Nick, to help him change the way he is." Judy said.

"I don't like you guys are basically putting it all on me." Nick said with a straight face.

"Come on, Nick. You're the reason why we're all here." Benji stated. "If anyone could change Darson, it's you."

Benji had a point. In one way or another, Nick has affected everyone's lives and made them better. So it makes sense that he's the running man for this.

"*sigh* Suddenly, I'm starting to regret making everyone's lives better." Nick said with his right paw on his face.

"There's that famous _Nick Wilde_ modesty." Judy said with a smile.

"Alright. So I guess we're doing this." Finnick said as he clapped his paws together. "First thing first. Nick, do you know anything about this guy that could help us understand him?"

"Actually... I think I do." Nick said as he thinks about it. "Earlier when I was talking to him, he told me a few things. That he feels that he's a burden to his dad because all he does is get into trouble. There was also something else. When I asked about his mother, he said he rather not talk about her."

"Hmmm. He rather not talking about his mom." Finnick said as he ponders a bit. "Alright, I think I got the gest of things. Here's my guess. Darson's folks probably got divorced went he was at a young age. His mother may have been one of those 'problemed' moms, so he lives with his pops. Now for the regular standards of parents, the mother is usually the caretaker and teaches the child to be kind while the father helps the kid toughen up and be strong-hearted to get ready for the world out there."

"That's actually a pretty good hypothesis, Finnick." Falisha said. Falisha then put her paw on her chin. "According to Finnick's guess, Darson was only raised by his dad."

"Now that I think about it, I saw his dad last time but I did not see his mom with him." Nick said recalling that.

"So if it's all truth since Darson would only have been raised by his dad, he would only know how to be tough. But without a mother, he doesn't know how to kind." Judy stated.

"The pieces seem to all fit together." Nick said. "It's not much. But it's all we got for now."

"Well, at least we got an idea of what his deal is. He has a family issue." Benji said. "We just need to fix them."

"By 'we' you actually mean 'me', don't you?" Nick asked raising an eyebrow.

"That's why you're the leader, City Boy." Gideon said with a smile.

"Figures." Nick said once again with a straight face. "Really starting to regret being the leader of our pack."

The leader's got to do what the leader's got to do. Even if he was on the top of Darson's list, he had to at least try to set him straight. Nick walked up the stairs and back to the shop to talk to Darson. Darson was currently finishing up sweeping the floors with a broom.

"Alright. That should be good." Darson said wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Nick looked around and he was amazed. Darson had actually cleaned up the store quite well. The floors were dusted, the windows were spotless, and suits and ties were organized.

"Wow! I don't think I've ever seen the store so clean." Nick said impressed.

"Well, my dad always tells me not to do anything halfway and to always work hard." Darson said. "You won't get anyway in life unless you _work hard_."

"Really? My pop gives me the same advice too." Nick said trying to admit that they had something in common.

"Hmpt! Is that so?" Darson asked Nick.

"Yeah." Nick said nodding. "You know, you work so hard on clean, you should apply that to your schoolwork and study better."

"Tch. No thanks! I rather not waste my time with school stuff." Darson said firmly to Nick.

"Why not?" Nick asked.

"Most mammals are stuck with dead-end jobs based on what they are. It doesn't matter how high you reach, that's just how that world works." Darson stated.

"That's a pretty simple-minded to think." Nick said nothing liking Darson's word.

"Is it? Cause I can tell you right now, that's how most of this city thinks." Darson said.

The sad truth is, Darson wasn't wrong. Most mammals in Zootopia, even with it being the city where anyone can be anything, most mammals only choose to do things based on what they are. Sloths running the DMV, only large mammals work for the ZPD, and even... foxes being conniving. Yet, Nick is still fighting all the stereotypes and he wanted Darson to do that too.

"I'll admit, some of the mammals in the world are like that..." Nick admitted. "... but..." Before Nick could finish, Darson interrupted him again.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to." Darson said. "You're just trying to play nice with me so I won't spill the beans about you being friends with the muzzlers at school."

"No. That's not..." Nick said.

"You didn't even bother trying to talk to me any other day this week. Why now?" Darson asked. "We're not friends so don't try to act like we are." Darson then walked closer to Nick. "And once I tell everyone in school about your secret, your popularity days will be numbered."

Nick's anger started to stir up again. Darson wasn't even gonna sugar coat it. He just wanted to make Nick's popularity suffer. Nick didn't want to go back to that again. Nick just walked away from Darson and started to make his way back to the basement.

"You know, I keep saying to myself _'There's good in you somewhere.'_. I'm starting to have my doubts." Nick said angrily as he walked back downstairs.

Darson didn't respond. He was just left alone with his thought.

As Nick walked down he stomped on each step very loudly. This pretty much got the attention of all of friends.

"Nick, what wrong?" Judy asked.

"Darson's a lost cause." Nick said as he walks down the last stair.

"Guessing your talk with him didn't go well." Finnick said.

"Darson is being nothing more than a pain." Nick said angrily. "He says he gonna tell everyone in school that I'm friends with Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed just so everyone can be against me again. He's not even trying to blackmail me."

"Tch. Go figure." Ronnie said not surprised.

"I think there's no point in helping him. He's too far gone." Mervin said.

"No digas eso. Don't say that." Gazelle said. "I still think he can change. Even a little bit."

"Even so, he's just making it harder and harder." Mervin stated. "Someone might be able to change him but that doesn't mean it has to be us."

Judy felt uncomfortable about this. It wasn't like she liked Darson but she knows Nick's not the type of person to just call it quits.

"Nick, is that how you feel too?" Judy asked.

"Judy, as you may have noticed, I'm not Darson favorite person. Nor is he mine." Nick said firmly. "If he doesn't want to just talk, fine by me."

"Hmm..." Judy said looking concern for Nick.

Then someone's voice gets everyone's attention.

"So, this is where you all ran off to."

Everyone turned around and saw that it was Darson.

"What do you want now, Darson?" Nick asked still looking steamed.

"Just wanted to see what's the big deal with your basement is." Darson said as he walked down the stairs. He looks around and sees a lot of boxes, chairs, fabrics, and suits that were still a work in progress. "Yeesh! I'm surprised your pop didn't ask me to clean up here. A bunch of junk here."

"This 'junk' is my dad's work." Nick said boldly. "He works hard to make suits and he's the best tailor in the whole city."

"Hmm. Too bad most people don't see that. You know, cause he's a fox." Darson stated with a smirk.

"What did you say?" Nick said as his anger was starting to boil. Nick never likes hearing insults about his dad. He was literally about to pounce on Darson again. Until...

"Don't you dare say that." Judy shouted out at Darson. "Mr. Wilde is a great man and his store is doing well. Better than well even."

"Yeah. He doesn't need punks like you bagging on him." Finnick said also defending John.

"Tch!" Darson went while gritting his teeth.

"You don't have to such a jerk about everything." Ed said to Darson.

"All you do in school is bully everyone whether they are prey or predator." Darwin stated.

"Nick and the rest of us even believe you can be different. But you just make it impossible with your insults." Chuck said as he walked closer to Darson. "So stop now or you'll be nothing more than just a bully coyote."

Darson was silent from everyone's words. Mostly from what Chuck said. Saying that he could be nothing more than just a bully coyote.

"So... that's what you think I am, huh? A bully? A punk? Well, maybe you're right." Darson said. Then he glared at Chuck with a frightful look on his face. "But what does that make you and your 4 pals, Chucky? Wearing those scout uniforms as a disguise of who you really are. Leading predators and thinking that they could join your pack then scarring them by putting a muzzle on them. All because they have sharp teeth. Does that sound like something a bully does? No. That's not what a bully or punk does. That's what a _criminal_ does."

Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed were paralyzed the second Darson ushered those words. _Criminal._ In the dictionary, it means a person who has committed a crime. Criminals call also be called lawbreakers, offenders, villains, and the list goes on. While they wouldn't admit it, muzzling someone who was innocent WAS considered in most ways a serious crime. A crime that the 5 former scouts have committed more than once. Darson then continued speaking.

"The rumors in school say that Wilde here was not only the one that set you straight but was also one of your victims." Darson said while taking a quick look at Nick. "But not only him, some of the other people in this very room. Am I wrong?"

"Uhhhh..." Benji went knowing he was one the victims.

"Grrrr..." Mervin and Ronnie growled knowing the fact that they were also being victims.

"Hoho! So it looks like I'm right." Darson said with a smirk. He then put his attention back on the 5 former scouts. "I bet the five of you think that they would just forgive you and forget about what you did. But the question is..." Darson then started sounding more serious. "... do they really forgive you? Can they truly forget?"

The five boys started to tremble a bit more.

"Darson, enough!" Nick said wanting him to stop talking. But he didn't.

"You five probably thought you were doing the world a service. Scaring off so-called _scary_ and _untrustworthy_ predators so they wouldn't get the chance to do you harm. All you needed to do was harm them by being the scary and untrustworthy ones." Darson stated.

"Enough, Darson!" Judy shouted out. Darson still continued.

"I could only imagine how the kids you muzzled felt. But how did you five felt? Bet you felt good about yourselves. Like you were doing the 'right' thing. But the truth of the matter is... it **wasn't** the right thing." Darson said sounding serious. "All you did was screw yourselves so bad that even prey kids don't want anything to do with you."

"Plea... please, stop." Chuck pleaded as he started to look ill.

"But the surprising part is not that you guys eventually got found out, but that you guys turned _yourselves_ in. Do you know what that tells me? Up until Wilde happened, you had no intention of stopping what you were doing NOR expecting to get caught." Darson stated.

The five former scouts started to quiver even more now.

"So with that in mind, how would have the five of you turn out in the future?" Darson asked. "Would you have just continue muzzling and become more comfortable with it up until adulthood? Would you pass it down to the next generations? Or... would you have just become one of those rotten adults just trying to avoid being locked behind bars?"

Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed started to shake more and more with frightened looks on their faces. Chuck was looking the most troubled.

"No matter what you do, your actions can **never** truly be forgotten and you can **never** truly atone for your actions." Darson stated.

"ENOUGH!" Ronnie shouted out as he pushes Darson back with Audran helping him. "No more from that muzzle of yours."

"Don't you think they have enough going on with their life?" Audran added with an angry glare.

"Psh! Like they haven't heard any of that before." Darson said shrugging.

It's true. Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed have heard it all. Including the things Nick and Mervin said to them. But what Darson said... it affected them way more than anything else. Chuck seems to be affected the most. He was hyperventilating a lot as Darson's words echo in his head _._

 _No matter what you do, your actions can_ _ **never**_ _truly be forgotten and you can_ _ **never**_ _truly atone for your actions._

Chuck looked like he couldn't take it anymore. He then fell down to the ground, gasping for air.

"Chuck? CHUCK?!" Nick shouted out in concern.

Everyone was stunned by this and they immediately went to him. Except for Darson, who just made his way out.

"That's my cue to leave." Darson said not really caring about Chuck as he leaves the basement.

Everyone else was trying to help Chuck, who was still hyperventilating.

"Chuck, are you okay?" Mervin asked the woodchuck.

"Aw man. He's having an anxiety attack again." Phillip said.

"Again? This has happened before?" Judy asked.

"A few times, yes." Ed admitted.

Seems that this wasn't the first time Chuck has had an anxiety attack. Wilfred tried to help Chuck up and tried to calm him down.

"Okay, Chuck. Easy. Breath in. Breath out." Wilfred said to Chuck. Chuck started to calm down now.

"Are you alright?" Nick asked.

"Am I alright?" Chuck said as he regains himself and standing back up. Then tears starting forming in his eyes. "No. No, I'm not alright. It hasn't gone away, Nick. None of it."

"None of what?" Nick asked.

"The looks from other kids, the hate, this pain in my chest." Chuck cried out. "It hurts! It hurts so much! We can't take back what we did and we can never make up for it."

Phillip and Ed tried to comfort Chuck. All Chuck could say was "I'm sorry. I'm sorry.". Everyone in the room started to feel really bad for Chuck.

"Nick, I think it's best that we just leave and take Chuck home." Phillip said.

"Yeah. If Darson's gonna be here, then we shouldn't." Ed stated.

"We'll see you guys around." Wilfred said sadly.

The five boys then all left the basement. After what Darson said, everyone started to think even more that Darson was a lost cause. Even Gideon and Gazelle.

"That fella there... he has no morals for what he said." Gideon said angrily.

"Even I'm losing my patience with him." Gazelle said looking mad.

"I mean, it's not like didn't do the same to them. But man, giving Chuck an anxiety attack and not even caring? It's farther than I could have gone." Mervin stated.

"I think you were right about him being a lost cause, Nick." Finnick said with his arms crossed.

Nearly everyone was giving up hope for Darson. Everyone was angry with him too. But someone who seemed the angriest was Judy. She may have been angry with Chuck and the others in the past but even she knew that Darson went too far. The little bunny's anger stirred up inside her and she then started marching up the stairs.

"Judy, where are you going?" Nick asked sounding worried.

"Where do you think?" Judy replied sounding ticked off.

"Man, not again." Nick said feeling a sense of deja vu.

The last time Judy acted like this was when she encountered the scouts after they muzzled Nick. Now she was going to encounter Darson after what he said to the scouts. Pretty surprising. As Judy walked up the stairs, the others trailed her. With a really angry look, Judy spotted Darson near the store counter and walked to him.

"HEY!" Judy shouted out at the coyote.

"What, bunny?" Darson asked as he turned to Judy.

"What you did down there was uncalled for." Judy said firmly.

"You mean with those 5 losers? I was doing you a service." Darson said to Judy.

"A service? Those five have been through enough and they are trying to change. But you just had to say all of those mean things and made them feel even worst. You even gave Chuck an anxiety attack." Judy stated very madly.

"Why are you even defending them? Are you against predators too?" Darson asked.

"Not in your life!" Judy said. "I'm happy with the prey and predator friends I made."

"Hmmm. If what everyone said is true, you're supposed to be good friends with Wilde. In that case, you must have been pretty mad at them after they muzzled him." Darson said. Judy didn't respond. "You must be some dumb bunny not only thinking that a bunny can be a cop, but thinking that you can trust a fox. So... it would be fun to see your trust in him crushed as he stabs you in the back one day."

Those last words pretty much triggered Judy. Not even taking a second to think about it, Judy hopped up and slapped Darson hard enough to make him drop to the ground. Nick and the others saw this and were shocked that Judy was actually crazy enough to do that.

"If you knew even a SINGLE thing about Nick... **YOU WOULDN'T DARE TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT! EVER!** " Judy said in a serious tone.

Darson, getting up from the floor, was now pretty mad at Judy for slapping him so hard.

"Grrrrrrr..." Darson growled. "Do you have a death wish, bunny?" Darson then got his claws out.

Seeing this, Nick stepped in front of Judy.

"If you put even **one** claw on her, you will regret it for the rest of your life." Nick said in a serious tone.

"You wants some too, Wilde? Fine by me." Darson said ready to fight Nick.

"If you mess with Nick or Judy..." Benji said as he walks up to Darson boldly. "... you mess with us too."

" **ALL** of us." Finnick said boldly. Him and the others also stood by Nick and Judy's side.

Darson was just getting madder and madder. It really bugged them that Nick had all of these friends willing to protect him. It was something that he doesn't have.

"WHAT'S WITH YOU ALL?!" Darson shouted out. "WHY ARE YOU ALL SO WILLING TO TRUST THIS FOX?! DON'T YOU ALL KNOW THAT HIS KIND IS SUPPOSE TO BE UNTRUSTWORTHY?!"

"Okay, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Nick shouted out having enough with Darson's attitude.

"My problem? My problem is you." Darson said pointing at Nick. "You rubbing your perfect life in my face."

"Perfect life? News Flash: My life ain't perfect." Nick stated.

"Is it? You have a good home, great at school, all these friends, and a mom and dad that love you. Why do you get to have all the things that I don't?" Darson asked seriously.

"Now wait just a minute." Nick said as he walks closer to Darson. "Do you actually think I had all that before? If things were different, I could have just ended up like the fox you think I should be. But do you know who help me stay this way?" Nick then pointed at Judy. "Her... and everyone else here. They see the good in me and that's why how I go be who I am. But what reason do you have to be the way you are?"

"What reason do I have, you ask? How about this? Did it ever occur to you that some people are just **meant** to be bad? From the moment they are born, they are just meant to be this bad thing that's only a problem for everyone else? Cause I can tell you, that describes me." Darson said seriously.

"Oh my god. What in the world would make you think that being born is a bad thing?" Nick asked in a serious tone.

"BECAUSE ME BEING BORN KILLED MY MOTHER!" Darson shouted out.

Those words echoed around and then the room went completely silent. Everyone was shocked beyond words to know what to say. It was a few seconds before Nick became the one to break the silence.

"Wha... what?" Nick said as his eyes widen.

Darson's expression changed. His looked sad and his body started to shake a bit. As if his words were something he didn't mean to say. He then started to dash out the room.

"Wait!" Nick said trying to stop him.

But it was too late. Darson had already left the store. Still, his words echo through everyone's heads. Nick then turned to everyone else.

"Being born... killed his mother?" Nick uddered still looking pretty stunned to hear that.

"Oh my goodness..." Benji said sadly.

"So... I was wrong." Finnick said. "Darson isn't this way because his parents were divorced. He's this way because..."

"... his... mom... is... gone." Flash said slowly but sadly.

"And without his mother, no one was able to teach him kindness." Falisha stated.

"It's so sad." Gazelle said looking really sad.

"Man. So that's why I didn't see his mom with him during the time we were at the Principal's Office and why he didn't want to take about his mother." Nick stated.

"None of us had no idea his mother died after giving birth to him." Ronnie said.

"How could we, eh?" Audran asked.

"Aww man. Now I feel dirty again." Mervin said as he rubs his arm.

The whole group, as they use to feel angry about Darson, now started to feel bad for him.

"You know, believe it or not, the situation is actually pretty common for bunnies. It's not the case for all bunnies, but it happens sometimes." Judy said. "Usually when the mother dies, it's because the litter was too big or the mother wasn't strong enough. The mother's death also usually has an **effect** on the family. The father is too filled with grief to work or needs mental help and the kits from the older litters usually... hate the last litter."

"Are you serious?" Nick asked.

"It's not always the case... but it's not like it's zero." Judy admitted. "The younger litter usually grows up to be negative."

"Darson must have been bottling that negativity for his whole life." Gideon stated. "He may not have any siblings... but..."

"... He must have token his hate out on others. But even with that, he might hate himself even more." Falisha said looking sad.

"He's been in sorrow the whole time and none of us knew why." Nick said looking down at the ground.

Darson must have had a pretty rough life growing up knowing that his mother died because he was born. Living without a mother in his life and feeling that he was nothing more than a burden. It's no wonder why he thinks some mammals are just meant to be bad. These thoughts filled Nick with grief and sadness.

"*sigh* I should have listened to my dad." Nick said sadly. His expression then changed to a determined one. "It's not too late to fix things."

Nick dashed off to the back kitchen for some reason.

"Nick, where are you going?" Judy asked.

Nick came back holding two cans of soda. Cola, to be exact. "I'm gonna go talk to Darson." Nick replied.

"I'm coming too." Judy said walking to Nick.

"Guys, you all wait here." Nick said to his friends.

"Alright." Gideon said. "But do hurry."

Nick and Judy nodded and dashed out the store. Nick and Judy looked around for Darson and spotted him sitting by the side of the building. Looks like he didn't get too far. Still, he had this meaningless expression on his face. Nick and Judy knew that they had to help him. They slowly walked to Darson and stopped where he was.

"Hey." Nick said to get Darson's attention. Darson turned around and looked at Nick. "I... uh... got you a soda. I thought since you did so well cleaning pop's shop that you at least deserve a small reward."

"..."Darson was still silent and looked away from Nick.

"Come on, Darson. Say something." Nick said wanting him to speak.

"You win, Wilde." Darson replied.

"What?" Nick said confused by what Darson means.

"I got something on you, you got something on me. We're on even footing now that we have dirt on each other." Darson said to Nick.

"I don't care about that stuff. I never did." Nick said.

"We both just want to talk to you." Judy said.

Nick puts down one of the cans of soda in front of Darson. Nick and Judy then sat beside Darson. Both Nick and Judy took off their caps and place them on the ground. Judy's ears were drooped down.

"What... did you mean when you said _being born killed your mother_?" Judy asked.

"It means what it means." Darson said as he picks up his can of cola. "The day I was born... was the day that my mom died. Meaning the time I started my life, my mom's ended." Darson then turned to Nick and Judy. "Do you know what it's like knowing that knowledge your whole life?"

"N... no. Can't say either of us do." Judy admitted sadly. Both Judy and Nick had good parents and they don't know what's it like for one of them to die.

"Well, lucky you." Darson said in a sarcastic tone. "You two get to be with both of your moms. But I don't even know about mine. I mean, sure I've seen some pictures of her from dad and even stories, but I want more than that. I want what others have."

"That's understandable." Nick said getting what Darson means.

"My dad loved my mom and me being born took her away from him." Darson said gripping his soda can. "All I do is cause trouble and make life worst for others. That's why my dad hates me. Things would be better if I wasn't born at all. "

Hearing Darson say that things would have been better if he wasn't born at all made Nick and Judy's hearts ache. It was all a bit too much to take in. Yet, Nick felt something was off. It was when Darson said his dad hated him. He did get a strong and tough vibe from Bruce Coynac, but it didn't feel like he hated his own son. Even with all the trouble he gets into.

"Darson, I want you to be honest." Nick said to him. "Did your dad ever said that he hated you?"

"What?" Darson said.

"Your dad. Did he ever said that he hated you?" Nick asked again.

"Wilde, I already told that..." Darson said before getting cut off.

"Answer the question honestly, Darson." Judy said sounding serious.

Darson paused for a moment before answering. "No. He never said that." Darson said.

"Darson, your relationship with your dad may not be as good as mine and pop is..." Nick said.

"... And yeah. There are a lot of not-so-great dads out there in the world." Judy stated.

"But if your dad never said those words or even words close to it... then..." Nick said.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT!" Nick and Judy shouted out. This pretty much shocked Darson of his funk a bit.

"If your dad really hated you, wouldn't he just put you up in a foster home long ago? Would he not care about the things that you do and try to straighten yourself up?" Nick asked as he stands up.

"It sounds like your dad is just worried about you and wants you to do better. A dad who didn't love his son wouldn't take the time to do that." Judy added.

"I... suppose you're right." Darson admitted. "But I'm still the reason why my mom's gone. I know dad has all the right reason to hate me."

"Have you talk to your dad about this?" Nick asked.

"Of course not." Darson said.

"Then maybe it's time you should." Nick said.

"I don't know if I should." Darson said looking worried.

"Come on. I know it may be hard but you owe it to yourself to know the truth." Judy said.

"But what if the truth is too much for me to handle?" Darson asked.

"Well... it's up to you to decide whether it's too much or not." Nick said.

After talking to Nick and Judy, Darson started to feel a bit better. But he was still worried that his dad still hated him. Even if it was only a little bit. Yet, he owns it to himself to know the truth.

"I suppose you two are right." Darson admitted.

"Of course we are." Judy said.

"I have a habit about being right all the time." Nick said with a smile. He then opened up his soda can. "Alright. Hurry up and drink your soda so we can go back inside. Oh and don't worry about the others. They understand now."

Nick drank his soda as he waits for Darson to open up his can. Darson slowly pops the can opened.

"Surprised that you didn't shake it up." Darson said expecting it to spray him.

"I'll shake you if you don't drink your soda." Nick said to Darson firmly.

"Alright. Alright." Darson said before drinking his soda.

A long while later, Darson was more calm with the other kids now. He even apologizes for his behavior. The kids all forgave him easily after hearing about his mother. Also, John, Frankie, and Bonnie made it back to the shop. Nick told his parents about why Darson behaves the way he does and about his mother died after giving birth to him.

"I see. So that's why the boy's so trouble." John said feeling bad for Darson.

"That poor boy." Frankie said looking upset.

"Darson's dad doesn't really hate him, does he pop?" Nick asked.

"Bruce Coynac may be a bit serious, but a true father looks out for his son no matter how bad he may be." John said. "I'm sure he cares about his son a lot. He just needs to talk to his son and understand how he feels."

"I hope Darson can do that." Nick said.

At that moment, they heard the door open and heard someone calling.

"Hello? Anyone there?" It was Bruce Coynac.

"Sounds like Mr. Coynac is here." Nick said.

A minute later, John, Frankie, Nick, and Darson met up with Bruce at the front counter in the store. It seems like Bruce was here to pick up his son.

"Mr. Coynac. I assume that you're here to pick up Darson." John assumed.

"I am. I hope that he wasn't any trouble." Bruce said.

Okay, Darson DID cause a bit of trouble but Nick didn't want Darson to get in any more trouble with his dad.

"Things were... rough for a time, but we both came to an understanding." Nick said as he pats Darson on the back. "Right, Darson?"

"Ri... right." Darson said nodding.

"That's good." Bruce said looking pleased.

"Darson also did a great job cleaning the store." John said. "I never have seen the store so clean."

"Good to hear that he did a good job." Bruce said. "I presume that he paid his debt?"

"Yep. We're all squared." John said with a smile.

"Good." Bruce said. He then looked at Darson. "Darson, let's go."

Nick tapped Darson on his shoulder and nodded to him that now was the time to talk to him. Darson hesitated for a bit but spoke out.

"Dad, wait!" Darson said to his father. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"Can it wait for when we get home?" Bruce asked.

"No. It can't." Darson said as he twiddles his paws.

The way Darson said that he didn't want to way for them to go home to talk got Bruce's attention. Bruce assumed that it was something really important. John and Frankie could feel the tension.

"Johnny, we should give them some space." Frankie said tugging her husband's arm.

"Right." John said agreeing.

John and Frankie then left the room.

"The others and I will be listening nearby." Nick whispered to Darson before going to the basement door. Nick and Judy kept the door cracked so they could peak and listen in.

Now it was just Darson and his dad in the store.

"Okay Darson, what is it?" Bruce asked wanting to know what his son wanted.

"I know this is out of the blue... but I really need to know." Darson said looking nervous. "Do you... do you hate me?"

"Wha... what?" Bruce said stunned that his son would even say those words. "What would make you say that?"

"Because... I get bad grades in school and all I do is get into trouble. Also..." Darson said before shaking a bit. "... I'm the reason mom's gone."

"Is that... is that what's been bothering you this whole time?" Bruce asked. Darson responded by slowly nodding.

For the longest time, Darson had blamed himself for being born and causing the death of his mother. He always felt that he was just a burden to his father and it would have been better if he wasn't born. But didn't his father really thought of Darson that way. Bruce walked over to his son and got on his knees.

"Darson... you were in pain this whole time and I ignored it. I'm sorry." Bruce said sincerely.

"Huh?" Darson said sounding surprised. He didn't expect his dad to apologize.

"I haven't really told you the whole truth, haven't I?" Bruce asked. "I suppose now is a good time as any."

It seems like Bruce was going to tell Darson a story about his mother.

"Now, I told you a lot about you mother, did I?" Bruce asked. "I met her when I was still in middle school. During the time, I was a lot like you. I got in trouble all the time too. Seriously, I nearly **lived** in detention. I was the kind of student that parents would tell their kids not to hang around with. But you mother, Videl, she wasn't like others. Haha. I swear... it was like she had her feet on the ground, but her head in the clouds. She was... how would say... spiritual."

"Yeah. You told me that much." Darson said.

"Anyway, for the longest time, Videl would follow me around. I would always ask why she always followed me and she would always say 'I'm curious about you.'." Bruce said. "I always found it weird... yet I was also charmed by it. I didn't started dating your mother until we were in our 20s. She was still as spiritual and optimistic about everything. I still found it weird, but it was also the reason I fell for her. Not too long later, we both got married. We had a good few years happy together."

Darson was starting to feel guilty again. He was still blaming himself for his mom's death.

"But then..." Bruce said sounding serious. "... something happened."

"Huh?" Darson went as his attention goes up.

"I started to notice that Videl, your mother, wasn't feeling to well and it seem like she wasn't getting any better. So we went to a doctor to see if she was okay. The news... was a bit of a shock." Bruce said.

"A shock?" Darson said confused.

"It turned out your mother was sick. She had a very rare sickness. A sickness which meant... that her life was shortened." Bruce said sadly.

"What?!" Darson said in shock.

This was all news to Darson. He didn't know that his mother had a rare disease that shortens her life. Nick and Judy were shocked by this information too.

"What?" Nick and Judy quietly shouted out.

"What? What's wrong?" Benji asked Nick and Judy.

"Darson's mother had a rare sickness." Judy stated.

"She was already close to dying BEFORE she had Darson." Nick stated.

"*gasp*" Everyone went.

"Oh... my... gosh." Flash said in shocked.

With that, everyone else went to the door to listen in on the conversation as Bruce continued.

"When I first heard the news, I panicked. I wanted to do everything I could to prevent her from dying. Work more jobs to make more money, visit other doctors, everything I could do. But Videl, she accepted her fate without worry. She did, however, had one request." Bruce said. "So I wouldn't be alone and that I would also have a small part of her, she wanted to have a baby. She wanted to have you... and so did I."

"You and mom... did want to have me?" Darson asked a bit surprised.

"Yes and after a while, your mother was pregnant. However, there were some risks." Bruce stated. "The doctors said that there were high chances that you would be sick too and... there was a chance that your mother would have died before giving birth to you. If that happened, I could have lost both of you."

Darson grips his chest after hearing that.

"But your mother was very strong-willed. And the strong-will helped her to the very day you were born." Bruce said.

Bruce started flashing back to the day of Darson's birth. It was in a hospital room, two doctors, both antelopes, and a slightly younger Bruce. They were all wearing scrubs. On a patient's bed was a beautiful light grey female coyote looking restless. This coyote was Videl Coynac. Around the room, the cries of a baby coyote could be heard.

"It's a boy, Mr. and Mrs. Coynac." One of the doctors said. "He's a bit underweight, but he seems healthy."

"Oh, thank goodness." Bruce said looking relieved. "Let me see him. I want to hold my boy."

"Alright." The doctor said as he covers the baby in a blanket and carefully hands him to Bruce.

Bruce held the baby in his arms. He looked at the baby's face and hears his loud crying. Happy tears started forming in his eyes.

"Ha... ha ha. This is our son. Our little boy." Bruce said happily. "He's small but looks so much like both of us." Bruce then lightly touched the baby's little paw sticking out.

"Dear..." Videl said weakly from her bed. "I want... to see him. I want to see our son."

"Yes, my love." Bruce said nodding.

Bruce walked to his wife holding their child and then carefully handed him to her. Videl looked at their baby as he started to quiet down. She had a warm smile on her face.

"Hey there, baby. Hey, Darson." Videl said the baby. "Your daddy and I were worried a minute. But we are glad you finally came." As she had one of her fingers out, baby Darson gripped on to it and stopped crying. He even had a little smile. At that moment, Videl was the one to start crying. "I'm sorry! I... I won't be here long enough to see what you become. You... probably be a bit sad about that. But I promise, I'll always be watching you, maybe not body, but in spirit." Videl then looked up at her husband. "Bruce, please take care of him."

Bruce wraps his arm around his wife. "I promise, no matter what, that I will take care of our son."

This ends the flashback, leaving Darson in total shock and disbelief.

"You mother held onto you for a whole hour before... before her time was up." Bruce said. "But she loved you **every second** of that hour. As do I."

So Bruce never hated Darson and it wasn't his fault that his mother died. It was because of her illness. Yet she still stayed strong long enough to make sure he would still be born and to hold him. Darson felt so many emotions in his crest. It then started to cry.

"Okay... so you don't hate me and I wasn't the real reason mom died." Darson said still crying. "But why did you wait so long to tell me this?"

"I sorry." Bruce said sincerely. "I felt that since your mother was gone, you needed to be tough. But the truth is... I might have been hurting as much as you have. I couldn't be like your mother and show you the kindness that you need. I hope that you can forgive me."

Darson then embraced his dad as he cried. Bruce hugged his son back, knowing that he finally ease the pain that Darson had for so long. Nick, Judy, and the other kids that were listening in were getting emotional too. But they still tried to keep quiet. Bruce then lets go of his son.

"Darson, for now on, no more secrets from each other. We stick together because we are all we have." Bruce said to Darson.

"Right." Darson said as he wipes the tears from his eyes.

"Now then..." Bruce said standing back up. "... how about we head home?"

"Right." Darson said happily.

Bruce then took Darson's paw and the two of them left the shop. So to Nick, Judy, and the others, it seems like things worked out in the ends.

"Looks like Darson and Mr. Coynac left." Nick said.

"That had to be the saddest story I've ever heard." Falisha said still wiping tears out of her eyes.

"I know. Who knew Darson had it so hard." Ronnie said.

"So, is he gonna be okay now?" Benji asked.

"Who can really say? But it looks like things are finally good for him and his dad." Nick said. "That's what matters."

"Yeah." Judy said agreeing with Nick. "It goes to show you that honesty is the best policy."

"Honestly... right..." Nick said softly as he cringes his arm. He then looked at his friends and many of them nodded. They all thought it was time Nick told Judy about the bracelet. "Judy, there's something I have to tell you."

"Oh. That reminds me." Judy said as she looks at Nick. "Nick, there's something I want to give you."

"Uhhh... can it wait til I say what I need to say?" Nick asked.

"Nope." Judy said. "Now, right arm out."

"Uhhh... but..." Nick said confused.

"Arm, Nicky." Judy said firmly.

"O... okay!" Nick said putting his right arm out and not wanting to make Judy angry.

Judy then dug into her pockets and took something out. She then wrapped it around Nick's right arm. To... everyone's surprise, it was a new bracelet. Just like the other one Judy made for Nick.

"Ta-dah!" Judy said happily.

"What?" Nick said surprised. "A new bracelet? How..."

"Nick, how long have we known each other?" Judy asked. "Nick, when you called me, I noticed by your tone something was bothering you when I mentioned the bracelet. Then it was you said that you got into a fight with Darson. You aren't the kind of person to just get into a fight without a reason. So I know the only you WOULD fight him... was because something happened to the bracelet I made you."

"Uhhhhhh..." Nick groaned.

"Thinking that happened, I decided to make you another one in case that did happen. But I wasn't completely sure until I saw you not wearing it." Judy stated.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Judy." Nick said feeling bad for not telling him. "It's just that you worked so hard to make it for me, I didn't want to make you upset."

Judy then held Nick's paw.

"It's okay, Nick. It didn't take much time to make this anyway." Judy said with a smile. She then had a mildly serious look on her face. "But Nick, even if this was easy to make, promise me you will take better care of it."

"Okay. I promise. Cause I'll never take it off." Nick said happily as he looks at his new bracelet. "You know, when I wore the last bracelet you made me, I had so much luck that day. But I realized something."

"What's that?" Judy asked.

"I wasn't lucky because of the bracelet, I was lucky because of you." Nick said as he looks at Judy with a smile.

"Awww! Nick!" Judy said blushing a bit.

"Awwwwwww!" All of their friends went, except for Finnick.

"You know what, I can't even with you two anymore." Finnick said feeling annoyed by Nick and Judy's _'will they, won't they'_ behavior.

Nick and Judy much really have a strong bond for Judy to forgive Nick. Let alone know she needed to make another bracelet. And with Nick's new bracelet, he decided never to take it off. It really shows much he cares about Judy.

It was an early Monday morning. John and Frankie were setting up some things to get ready to open up the shop later. Then they both hear a knock on the door.

"Store's not open yet. Come back in a few hours." John shouted.

"It's me, Mr. Wilde." A boy's voice from outside shouted.

Surprised by this, John opened the door to see who it was. It was Darson with his backpack on.

"Oh. Darson." John said.

"Is... umm... Nick still here?" Darson asked politely.

"Uh... yeah. Come on it." John said letting Darson inside.

"Nicky! Can you come down here?" Frankie shouted out.

Down the stairs came Nick with his backpack on. As he came down, he noticed Darson.

"Darson? What are you doing here?" Nick asked.

"Well... I was in the neighborhood... and uhh... I was wondering if you wanted to walk to school together." Darson said sounding a bit nervous.

"Oh." Nick said a bit surprised. He then looked at both his parents, who smiled and nodded at him. After that, Nick decided to smile himself as he looks at Darson. "Sure."

"Great. Let's get going." Darson said.

"Right." Nick said nodding. "See ya, mom. See ya, pop."

"Have a great day, son." John said happily.

With that, Nick, along with Darson, left the shop and were on their way to school. As they walked side by side, they talked a bit.

"So... uh... did you finish the math homework?" Darson asked Nick.

"Of course." Nick replied. "I'm assuming you didn't.

"I _did_ it." Darson said firmly. "I'm just... not entirely sure that they are all right."

"Really?" Nick asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Alright, let me see."

"Huh?" Darson said surprised.

"It's different when I want to help." Nick stated. "Now let me see your homework."

Darson took out his backpack and took out a sheet of the math homework. He then handed it over to Nick to look at. Nick spent a few seconds looking at Darson's homework...

"Wow. A LOT of these are wrong." Nick stated.

"Hey! Math isn't my subject." Darson said boldly.

"You're lucky I looked at this before we went to class." Nick stated. "Alright, we got an hour before class. So you can rework on these by then. Hopefully, I can also help you study these before the test on Friday. I want us to have that pizza party."

"I only need to get a C." Darson said.

"Aim for an A." Nick said boldly.

"What? I won't be able to pull that off." Darson said looking worried.

"Not with that attitude. At least study and try to get an A." Nick said.

"Fine. But don't expect me to actually get an A." Darson said.

"With my help, I'm sure you will." Nick said boasting a bit.

Nick and Darson seem to be comfortable with each other if they can talk like this.

"Hey... Wilde... uhhh... I mean, Nick... about before..." Darson said sounding apologetic.

"Yeah?" Nick said.

"Sorry." Darson said sincerely.

"It's okay." Nick said accepting his apology. Nick then looked at Darson's homework. "Oh. You actually did get some of these right."

"Of course. I'm not an idiot." Darson said.

"Could have fooled me." Nick said with a smirk.

"Watch it, buddy." Darson said firmly to Nick.

"So we're buddies now?" Nick asked with a smirk. Darson just responded by laughing.

So Nick and Darson finally settled things with each other. Both of them have even come to an understanding. Guess it goes to show you, with a little luck, even the roughest of people can change with help from the right person.

 **Well, that's the end of part 2. Man, I just had to put so much drama in one chapter, did I. But don't worry. The next chapter is definitely gonna be a happy one. Til then, I hope you all stay well.**


	37. Chapter 35: Spring Day Haze

**Here we are at chapter 35. Glad that I still make time to keep working on this story. So, the last chapter was a huge hit. Got more faves and follows and people in the comments just loved everything about it. After all the drama from the last chapters, I think it times for a nice and mellow chapter. For this chapter, all of the kids hang out together and discuss their plans for the summer. I got the idea for this from one of my favorite games, Kingdom Hearts II, Day 5 from Roxas's story. It's gonna be a nice and relaxing chapter. So I hope you all enjoy it. Let's begin.**

* * *

It was another nice day in Zootopia. Out in one of the parks in Savannah Central were the kids. Nick, Judy, Benji, Gideon, Finnick, Gazelle, Travis, Mervin, Ronnie, Audran, Falisha, Flash, Kyle, Bobby, Sharla, Gareth, Libby, Chuck, Darwin, Phillip, Wilfred, and Ed. After a long day of playing, they all just sit down and laid on the grass, looking at the clouds in the sky.

"Ahhh!" It's such a great day in the city today." Judy said happily.

"You said it, Judy." Libby said agreeing with Judy.

"Nothing like this Spring breeze, eh?" Audran said.

"Eh." Everyone else said.

As Nick looked up in the clouds, he kept chanting something.

"Two more months. Two more months." Nick kept chanting.

"What do you keep saying, Nick?" Benji asked.

"Two more months. We are on the last quarter of school and we only have two more months of school left." Nick stated.

"That's right. School's almost over now." Travis said.

"You all know what that means, right?" Nick said with a smile.

"SUMMER VACATION!" All the kids shouted out happily as they raised their fists in the air.

Summer vacation. To most kids, it's the best time of the year. 3 months of no school. Just late mornings, hours on the couch, watching cartoons, playing games, hanging out with friends, and visiting vacation spots.

"Summer's just around the corner. Aren't you all excited?" Nick asked his friends.

"You betcha, Nicky!" Mervin said excitedly.

"When Summer comes, you guys should visit us more days in Bunnyburrow." Gareth said.

"And you guys should do the same for us here in Zootopia." Ronnie said.

"Yeah. Summer means longer visits." Judy said happily. That would be great."

As everyone talked more about the Summer, 5 of the kids had other thoughts running through their minds. It was Chuck, Phillip, Darwin,Wilfred, and Ed. The five just had their eyes on the clouds.

 _No matter what you do, your actions can_ _ **never**_ _truly be forgotten and you can_ _ **never**_ _truly atone for your actions._

Darson's words from before still lingered in their heads. Nick noticed that they were lost in thought and snapped them out of it.

"Guys? Guuuuuuys?" Nick said as he snapped his fingers.

"Huh?" Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed went getting back to reality.

"Dudes, you okay? You were zoned out for a while." Nick stated.

"Oh. Sorry." Chuck said.

"Are you guys okay?" Judy asked.

"We're fine. Just a bit on our minds." Ed said.

"Wanna talk about it?" Judy asked.

"Naw. Maybe next time." Phillip said as he gets up from the grass. The same for the other four. "Anyway, we got something that we are obligated to do."

"Yeah. So we really have to get going." Wilfred said.

"Really?" Benji asked.

"You sure you can't just hang out with us a bit longer?" Bobby asked.

"Sorry. We really do have to go." Wilfred said.

"But we're see ya guys around?" Chuck said with a light smile.

"Uhh... sure." Nick said. "See ya."

With that, the 5 boys left the group to go on their way. The other kids felt odd about them leaving out of the blue.

"That was weird, wasn't it?" Gareth asked everyone.

"Yeah. They had to go right out of the blue." Ronnie said.

"Maybe they still feel uncomfortable hanging out with the rest of us." Mervin said feeling that the 5 boys were still feeling like outsiders.

"They said they had something they were obligated to do. So I guess we should just take their word for it." Nick said to everyone. "Now then, let's start planning what to do for the Summer."

"Isn't it still a bit too early?" Travis asked.

"It's never too early to plan for the Summer. Besides, you plan early to make sure the plans don't fall apart." Nick stated.

"Hmm. You have a point." Judy admitted.

"So City Boy, do you have any plans in mind?" Gideon asked.

"Boy, do I?" Nick said excitedly. "Let me ask you my friends, what's the #1 thing that people do during the Summer?"

"Sit on the couch and watch TV for 3 months?" Benji said.

"No. Well... besides that." Nick said knowing that some people do spend most time on the couch watching TV.

"Uhhh... go to the beach?" Benji said.

"Yes! Exactly! That's what we need to do." Nick said eagerly. "We all should go to the beach."

"The beach?" Everyone else went.

"Yeah! The beach!" Nick said with a wide smile. "Think about it, guys. The sand, the sun, the blue waves."

If there really is one place people go to during the Summer is the beach. Whether it's soaking up the sun, placing their feet on the sand, catching some waves, or hanging out with family and friends, the beach is definitely one of the places to go.

"We all need to go to the beach this Summer. Why, some of you may ask? Because I have **never** been to the beach in all 9 years." Nick said firmly as he crossed his arms.

"You never been to the beach before?" Judy asked.

"Have any of you ever been to the beach before?" Nick asked.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Everyone else went. This implied that none of them have been to the beach before.

"Now that I think about it, have any of us ever step foot on a beach?" Nick asked.

"Uhhhhhhhhhh..." Everyone else went. This also implied that even the ones who live in the city haven't step foot on a beach either.

"There's oasises in Sahara Square." Finnick stated. "I mean, they aren't really beaches. But there's sand, sun, and big pools of water. So they're beach-ish."

"We'll put that in the back pocket." Nick said. "For now, we should go to a real beach."

"The whole beach idea does sound fun." Bobby said liking the idea.

"I'm down with the idea too." Kyle said.

"Me three." Gareth said.

"Hold it. Hold it." Judy said telling everyone to put a pause on things. "I think we're going too gun-ho on this beach thing. I mean, it's one thing to start planning but what about all of our parents?"

"Ohhh. That's right." Sharla said realizing what Judy meant. "It's one thing that our parents let us visit you guys sometimes..."

"But... going to the beach is another thing." Bobby said.

"Yeah. I don't think all of our folks are gonna be keen on it." Gideon stated.

"Well then it's lucky for us that one of us just happens to have the coolest parents in the whole world." Nick said with a bold smile.

"By that modesty,..." Judy said with a straight face. "I assume you mean Mr. and Mrs. Wilde."

"Uh huh, fluff." Nick said nodding. "Mom and Pop love to see me happy and they like me hanging out with all my friends. So I'm sure they will be all for the beach trip."

"Even if your ma and pops are cool with it, what does that say about the rest of us and our folks?" Finnick asked.

"That's where you guys come in." Nick said. "All you need to do is mention the beach trip and then my parents."

"Okay. But even with that, how is that gonna make are **our** parents gonna be okay with it?" Audran asked.

"Simple. Just say one or two things about my folks and how awesome they are." Nick said with a joyful smile.

"Nick, if you're using us just to one-up your parents..." Judy said looking a bit mad.

"Hear me out." Nick said before Judy got into a tizzy. "Parents don't like their kids thinking that other parents are better than them. A strike at their egos would usually effect them pretty hard. They don't want to feel that 'kick' in their brains saying 'We can let those foxes to get all the glory.' Not wanting to be outdone, they would be more than willing to let us all have fun in the sun at the beach. It's as simple as that."

Everyone else thought about it for a moment and realized that Nick might be right. In fact, to them, Nick idea works perfectly.

"Sometimes I worry if you would ever use that brain of yours for evil." Judy said.

"What if I already am?" Nick asked with his signature sly grin.

"Please, Slick. You're as good as a piece of grammy's pie." Judy stated.

"What kind of pie?" Benji asked curiously.

"Doesn't matter, Benji." Judy said.

"All pies aside, Nick's idea could actually work." Sharla said.

"Yeah. One time, I told my mom that one of my friend's mom made the best brownies. She made brownies for a whole week just to prove she could make better ones." Bobby stated.

"How much brownies was that exactly?" Benji asked curiously.

"Another time, Benji." Bobby said to Benji.

"So, we're all going with Nick's plan." Mervin said. "This beach trip is gonna rock!"

"Yeah. Once we plan everything, it's gonna be awesome." Nick said happily.

"Hold on, everyone." Falisha said not wanting everyone to get ahead of themselves. "As fun as the beach all sounds, aren't you guys forgetting something? Something _before_ we can do our beach trip?"

"What's that?" Nick asked Falisha.

"Final Exams." Falisha said.

"Uggggggggghhhhhhh..." Everyone else groaned.

"Final... Exams..." Flash said slowly and not happy about them. "Not... good."

Final Exams. To most kids, a nightmare. Everything they learned in the school year put together in several stacks of paper. You have to do the exams and get a good average to get to the next grade.

"Fals, did you really have to even mention exams? Uggghhhh... I just want to skip 'em so badly." Mervin said looking displeased.

"Now now. Exams aren't that bad." Falisha said."In fact, let's give us some _motivation_."

"What kind of motivation?" Ronnie asked as he raised his eyebrow.

"We can only do the beach trip IF we do the exams AND pass them." Falisha said.

"Uggggggggghhhhhh..." Everyone else groaned again.

"So basically, anyone who isn't Judes, Nicky, or you, is screwed." Mervin said looking disdain.

"Why are you just assuming the rest of us aren't smart?" Sharla said looking stern.

"Alright. Alright. None of us are dumb. Besides, doing good on the exams aren't a bad thing." Judy stated. "If we do good on them, then it will just sweeten the pot for our parents to let us do the beach trip."

"Hmm. You have a point." Audran said thinking about it. "One time I got a A on a big test, my parents took me to a theme park."

"See? Parents reward their kids when they do good in school. If we all can get passing grades on the exams, then we are as good as gold for the beach trip." Falisha said.

With all that said, all the kids nodded their heads, agreeing with Falisha's words.

"Okay. So it's settled." Nick said as he clapped his paws. "We get through these last two months of school, then the final exams, and then... BEACH TIME!"

"I'm all for it." Judy said happily.

"Me too." Benji said.

"I suppose I can study a bit and at least get a passing grade." Mervin said shrugging.

"Ditto." Finnick said agreeing with Mervin.

"Now we just need to pick a day." Travis said.

"Oh. That's right." Nick said. He then started pondering what day would be best. "Right after school is too early and right before school is too late. So... somewhere in the middle?"

"We can figure out the day later." Judy said. "We still have plenty of time before then anyway."

"I suppose you're right." Nick said agreeing. "Let's save the day planned and the beach to go to for later."

It looks like the gang have already done some decent planning for the beach trip. Now they just had to wait til school was over. As the gang talks more and more about the beach trip, someone walks over to them and gets their attention.

"Well, this is quite the group." A young boy's voice said.

The kids all turned to see who it was. It was the Darson Coynac, the former bully of Nick's school. He was wearing a black button shirt over a white shirt and jeans.

"Darson!" Nick said happy to see him. "How's it going?"

"Nick Wilde. I thought I saw that fox mug of yours." Darson said with a sly grin.

"Well, it's a good mug." Nick said also grinning slyly.

"There's that ego again." Judy said with her left paw on her face.

Even if the Zootopia kids knew Darson, the Bunnyburrow kids, except for Gideon, didn't know him.

"Who's this guy again?" Travis asked.

"Darson Coynac. A bully from school." Mervin said.

" **Former** bully." Gideon stated. "But like myself, he straighten up by Nick and he's good now."

"The reason why Darson was a bully was because when he was born, his mom died and he blamed himself." Gazelle said to the Burrow kids.

"Oh." Sharla, Gareth, Kyle, Bobby, Libby, and Travis said looking sad.

"But it turned out his mother was sick BEFORE she even had him." Gazelle said."After that, with Nick's help, he's learning to be a better person."

"Oh. That's good to know." Sharla said with a smile.

Darson then took the time to realize how many kids were here.

"Okay, how many friends do you have, Wilde?" Darson asked sounding amazed.

"Not including Judy's 280 brothers and sisters?" Nick asked.

"Nevermind. Forget I asked." Darson said not wanting to know the real number of friends he has. 280 is already a big number. "Anyway, what are you all up to?"

"Oh. Are you actually interested?" Judy asked.

"Nope. Not even." Darson said honestly. "But... I'm learning how to be a 'better person'. So tell me anyway."

"If you must know, we're making plans for the Summer." Falisha said Darson.

"Plans for the Summer, huh? Must me nice." Darson said. He then started to look slightly depressed. "*sigh* Not gonna lie, it isn't looking good for me. Even with Wilde's help at school, my grades are still kinda low. I might be heading to Summer School."

"Ouch! Summer School." Nick said flinching a bit.

"It hurts just to hear that." Finnick said.

"Will you be okay with that?" Audran asked Darson.

"Meh. I'll be fine." Darson said not sounding worried. "It shouldn't be too hard. And even with Summer School, I should be able to zoom by it and enjoy what's left of the Summer."

"Heh. You sound pretty positive for someone who might have to go to Summer School." Falisha said sounding surprised.

"Can't be a downer, right?" Darson said shrugging.

"Heh. Right." Nick said with a smile.

Darson had changed quite a lot. He's less rough around the edges and more positive about life. It was like he took a total 180.

"Anyway Darson, come sit with us and let's talk." Nick said as he pats a spot next to him.

"Sure." Darson said as he shrugs his shoulders.

Darson walked to the kids and sat by Nick in the grass.

"Also, don't call me Wilde." Nick said not liking being called by his last name. "Call me Nick, Nicholas, Nicky, or my nickname, Slick."

"Fine, Nicky." Darson said making a smile. "By the way, I don't see Chuck or those other four." Darson noticed that they weren't here. "Where are they?"

"You just missed them a few minutes ago actually." Nick said.

"Right..." Darson said looking a bit sad.

The last time Darson talked to those five... wasn't really a nice thing to say. In fact, what Darson said to the Chuck and the others was the harshess thing anyone has ever said to them. Even beating out Nick and Mervin. Looks like Darson had some regrets.

"Do you still feel bad for what you said to them, Darson?" Judy asked.

"Ummmm..." Darson said before speaking. "Don't get me wrong. I already said sorry to Chuck for causing him to have an anxiety attack AND I'm sorry for how I said things. But... I'm not sorry for what I said."

"What?" Nick said surprised that Darson said he wasn't sorry.

"Nick, the five of them got away with muzzling predators just because they didn't want them to join their pack. That's a serious offense. If things were different or if they were older, they could end up in a cell in juvie for a few years. They could have even been trailed as adults." Darson stated. "Could you honest say that they should be forgiven just like that?"

"Well, no. It took a while for me to even handle being near them. But they're trying to change and I'm willing to let them." Nick said honestly.

"They may be willing to change, but that doesn't change what they done." Darson said. "Listen Nick, even when I was still a bully, I own up to all my mistakes. ALL of them. But those 5 haven't done that yet."

"But they are still being blackballed by the other kids at school. Not only the other kids, but the grownups as well." Mervin stated.

"That's not owning up to their mistakes. That's just taking the blow that are dished out to them." Darson stated. "If they really want to make up for what they did, they have to do something that equals their actions."

"That equals their actions? Then what are they suppose to do?" Judy asked.

"That's... not for me or any of us to decide. It's only up to them." Darson said.

"I see. Do you think that they'll ever own up to their mistakes." Nick asked looking concern.

"Again, it's not for any of us to decided." Darson said.

"Right..." Nick said looking a bit sad.

Nick, Judy, and the others have actually started to think of Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed as their friends. It started to bother them that things were still rough for the 5 boys. But what Darson said was right. They still need to own up to their did if they want to have another fresh start.

"Okay. I'm pretty sure those five don't want you to talk about them too much or worry about them. So let's talk about something else." Darson said.

"Alright." Nick said agreeing to change the subject. "So, how are things with you and your dad?"

"Great! Actually, better than ever." Darson said happily. "Pop and I are talking more and our relationship is stronger from it."

"Oh. You call your dad 'pop' too?" Nick asked.

"You're not the only one who can call his own man 'pop'." Darson stated boldly. "To be honest, I used to call my dad that all the time. Back then, we did a lot together."

"Really?" Nick said sounding interested to hear more.

"Oh yeah." Darson said as he started reminsicing the good times he had with his father. "Even with it just being the two of us, pop and I did a lot. Play ball, go to the park, go out for ice cream, the usual father-son stuff. Those were all some of the best times I've had with him." Darson expression then changed from happy to sad."*sigh* I can't believe I ever thought that my dad hated me."

"Why did you? Did something happened?" Judy asked.

"I guess you can say that." Darson said to Judy.

"Can you tell us?" Benji asked.

"It was before I knew the truth. You know... the real truth about my mom." Darson said. "When I was younger, I always asked pop questions about mom. He would usually tells me the small stuff. That she was spiritual and that pop loved her dearly. Then... when I was 7, he took me to her grave the first time. It was not only the first time I got to visit her grave but... the first time my father visited her grave since... you know."

"WHAT?!" The others shouted out. The kids were all surprised to hear that. Even if a widowed husband doesn't visit his wife everyday, they would at least visit the grave every once in a while.

"So... your dad **never** visited your mom's grave after she died?" Judy asked.

Darson nodded his head. "He never really had it in him to do it." Darson said. "So the day he took me to mom's grave, just seeing the grave, he... started to break down. I've never saw him like that in my whole life."

"He must have never got over your mother. Which is totally understandable." Falisha stated.

"Exactly. That's when... I took a good look at mom's tombstone. I saw the date and... when I found out she died the same day I was born, I... was in total shock." Darson said as he rubs his shoulder. "After that, I did some research and found some mothers didn't survive after childbirth. I thought I was one of the cases and... that's when it started to happened. Add the fact that I'm a predator, throw in some kids too scared to be friends with me, and..."

"You have the elements needed to turn one into be a bully." Travis said.

"Bingo." Darson said. "I thought I was bad because I believed me being born killed my mom. I thought I was only meant to be a bad thing, so I just went with it. It's not like anybody gave me a real choice."

Everyone started to feel sad for Darson.

"Figures!" Finnick said looking a bit ticked. "This is just another case of mammals discriminating on other mammals. I'm getting sick and tired of it."

"Yeah. But even with all of that, I... was really only using that as an excuse to be a bully." Darson stated sadly. "The whole time I thought things would be better off without me. But it was totally the opposite. Finding out mom was ill opened up _everything_. If mom and pop never had me and mom was already sick anyway or if mom died before giving birth to me, pop would be alone. He wouldn't have anyone. That... made me felt worser than if I was never born."

"I get it." Nick said understanding Darson. "You probably had it rougher than any of us ever had it."

"Your story still makes me very sad." Gazelle said trying not to cry.

"Me too." Benji said failing at not crying.

"Thanks for the sympathy, but I'm fine now." Darson said starting to cheer up. "My dad doesn't hate me or think I'm a burden, I right my wrongs, and I'm a better person. I own you one, Wilde."

"Don't worry about it. Honestly, I've been making others' lives better for a while now." Nick said with a happy grin. "Also..." Nick then lightly smacked Darson on his shoulder. "... I told you, call me Nick."

"Owww..." Darson said as he rubbed his shoulder on the spot Nick hit him. "Alright, Nick. Still getting use to that."

"I suppose I'll let it slide. But only because I'm such a forgiving person." Nick said in a boasting matter.

Nick and Darson were getting along quite well now. There was always tension when Nick and Darson got near each other. But now that tension seem to have disappear.

"Say Nick, can I ask you something?" Darson said to Nick.

"What is it?" Nick asked.

"Before, everytime I was near you, I would get this _burning_ and _angry_ feeling. But now, it's a different feeling. It's... _cool_ and kinda _calm_." Darson said describing it.

"You too, huh? It's the same for me." Nick said to Darson.

"What is that feeling?" Darson asked.

"I don't know. But if I had to guess... it's because we now understand and trust each other." Nick said smiling a bit.

"Trust, huh? Me trusting a fox?" Darson said.

"You wouldn't be the first one." Nick said with a smirk.

"You really wouldn't." Judy and the others said since they all trusted Nick too.

"Hahaha! I guess with everyone here, I'll take your word for it." Darson said smiling.

"I'm glad that you decided to change." Ronnie said to Darson.

"You know, when you think about it, you and Nick are kinda alike, eh?" Audran stated to Darson.

"WE ARE NOT ALIKE!" Nick and Darson shouted out boldly.

"Yep. Starting to see those similarities even more now." Audran said a smirk.

"Okay. So maybe we have SOME similarites. Like that obvious fact that we are predators that were down on their luck and awesome dads that want us to work hard." Darson said. "But I know for a well known fact that there's one thing the two of us don't have in common."

"What's that?" Judy asked.

"My love for all things blueberry." Darson said with a smirk.

The second Darson mention the word 'blueberry', everyone else eyes widen and they all had shocked looks on their faces. This confused Darson.

"Uhhhh... why do you all have those looks on your faces?" Darson asked everyone.

"Yo... you love all things blueberry?" Nick stammered.

"Yeeeeeeahhh..." Darson replied.

" **I** love all things blueberry." Nick stated.

Now Darson was the one with widen eyes and a shocked face.

"Don't lie to me, Nick Wilde." Darson said pointing a finger at Nick.

"I'm not. I'm serious." Nick said to Darson. "Everyone else will tell you the same." Nick then looked at all his friends. "Right, guys?" Everyone nodded their heads.

"Oh... my... cobblers." Darson said in disbelief.

"Oh no. It's happening." Mervin said looking worried. "When Nick helps someone change, they start changing into him!"

"And it looks like it's already effected Darson." Benji said frantically.

"The rest of us might have already change and not even know it." Ronnie said frantically.

"Hey! What's wrong with being like me?" Nick said feeling insulted.

"Nothing." Everyone else went.

"The way you all say that, I seriously doubt that." Nick said with his arms crossed.

"Don't worry about it, Nick. Just be thankful we all like you." Judy said with a smile.

"I... suppose you're right. Buuuuuut... I own most of being because of you, Carrots." Nick said to Judy.

"Oh yeah. You did said she was the reason you stayed the way you are, right?" Darson asked recalling that Nick mention that..

"Right." Judy said nodding. "Even when nobody believed in Nick, I always did and I always will. No matter how others may see him, I know what who he is and nothing will change my opinion on that."

Darson was surprised to hear Judy talk so high about Nick. It's not often a bunny talks that way about a fox. He remembered that Mrs. Wilde said that Judy and Nick are really close. He was starting to understand what Frankie meant.

"So, I guess the two of you are at a point where you two can really trust each other, huh?" Darson said smiling a bit. Nick and Judy smiled back. "You know, you two may be different species, but you actually make a nice couple."

"A NICE WHAT NOW?!" Nick and Judy shouted out.

Once again, someone thinks that Nick and Judy are in an _romantic_ relationship. Darson thought that was the case for Nick and Judy. Nick and Judy's friends respond to this by giggling and snickering.

"WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" Nick and Judy shouted out red-faced.

"You're aren't?" Darson said looking surprised. "It's just that... the way you both talk about each other, I thought you were boyfriend and girlfriend."

"It's..." Nick and Judy said still red-faced.

"... with a space in the middle." Their friends all said knowing that they would probably say that.

"Space in the middle? So they **don't** have the 'hots' for each other?" Darson asked still confused. Nick and Judy started looking more red-faced.

"It's complicated." Nick and Judy's friends all said.

"Ahhh. I get it." Darson said understanding that they meant and smirking a bit. "It's one of those 'will they, won't they' things."

"Exactly!" Nick and Judy's friends all said.

"What is with you guys? Our Nick and I just some dramatic romance to you?" Judy asked looking flustered.

"Maaaaaybe..." The kids all went slying.

"I'm starting to miss the times when I had lesser friends more and more." Nick said with an straight face.

"Phhtt! Hahahaha!" Darson said. "Come on. It's not their fault that they think you're cute together."

"Don't call us 'cute'." Nick and Judy said both looking mad. Which is rare for Nick when he's called cute.

"You're not permitted to call a rabbit 'cute'." Judy said firmly to Darson. "Do it again and I'll give you another slap in the face."

"Okay. Okay. Easy." Darson said with his paws up a bit and not wanting to get slapped by Judy again. "I definitely don't want another slap like that again." Darson then started rubbing one of his cheeks. "For a bunny, you hit pretty hard."

"Should have warn you about that." Gideon said knowing what it's like to get hit by Judy.

"Couple or not, it's... nice that you have each others back." Darson said to Nick and Judy.

"And we always will." Judy added. "Especially when we join the ZPD one day."

Hearing Judy said that, REALLY surprised Darson. Enough for him to get up on his feet.

"Woah woah woah! WHAT?!" Darson said in shock. "I mean, when I saw Hippity-Hop in her cop costume I already assumed that she wanted to be a cop. But Nick, you want to be a cop too?"

"Yeah. I decided that for a while now." Nick stated to Darson as he gets up. Judy did the same.

"Unreal. A bunny AND a fox wanting to be cops?" Darson said still in awe.

"Don't sound so surprised." Judy said with a grin and her arms crossed. "You should already know we go above the regular fox and bunny stardards."

"True enough. Then let me ask you both this one last question." Darson said.

The air started to fill up with a serious feeling. Whatever Darson wanted to asked Nick and Judy, it must be a really serious question.

"Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, do you really believe a fox and a bunny can become cops?" Darson asked. He then turned to Judy. "You first, Judy."

"Of course I do. Zootopia is the city where anyone can be anything." Judy answered.

Darson was a bit surprised that Judy's answer was so simple. He then turned to Nick. "What about you, Nick?" Darson asked.

Nick hesitated longer than it took Judy to answer. Then Nick spoke out honestly. "The truth is... I don't know. It's not like there were any other bunnies or foxes to make people say otherwise. There are even some mammals that are the usual species that don't make the cut. So, as far as chances go, they're slim. It won't be easy."

Judy and the others didn't expect Nick to say all of that. Logically, he was right on every account. There are no bunnies or foxes that have ever joined the ZPD and chances of passing the training courses were also low.

"But..." Nick said before boldly saying more. "... is the best things supposed to be easy? Thanks to my friends and family, I learned something. You have to work hard to achieve your goals. It doesn't matter if the odds are stacked against. It doesn't matter if others don't think you're cut out for it. The only thing that matters is, even with all of that, you have to try. Try and put your heart and soul into it."

Darson looked at Nick and could tell he was quite determined with his goal.

"I'm gonna do everything I can to make becoming a police officer happen. But to me, it's more than that." Nick said boldly. "I don't want to just be Judy's partner. I'm also not just doing it to give foxes a better reputation. I'm doing this to fix every injustice in this city and wipe all discrimation right off the map. If others realize a fox and a bunny could be cops, maybe it will inspire others mammals like us to do more. If that happens, imagine how better the city could be and how better the _world_ could be. Even if it's a slim chance, I still want to take it. It only takes one person to start things up."

Such bold words of ambition for Nick to say. It really put everyone in awe. Nick then realized that his answer may have been a little overboard.

"Ummm... so to answer your question, it's a yes for me too." Nick said as his twiddle his paws.

Darson was still was in awe by Nick's answer. He then finally responded by doing this.

"Ha... haha... hahahahahahahahhaha!" Darson laughed heartly. This put Nick and Judy in confusion.

"What's so funny?" Nick said looking a bit mad.

"Haha... sorry. This isn't bad laughter. I swear." Darson said as he stops laughing. "It's just that... your answer... it was soooooo long, man. Seriously. Judy's answer was short and to the point. But yours was like an essay. So long. So unnecessary long."

Nick was looking a bit mad at Darson and puffed out his cheeks. Similar to what Judy does when she's mad at Nick. "Hmpt! If I didn't explain everything, you wouldn't understand why." Nick said firmly.

"Haha! I don't know what's funnier? The fact that your answer was so long or..." Darson said before having giving a sincere smile. "... that I actually believe you."

Nick and Judy then looked surprised again.

"You two might actually be able to pull it off." Darson said. He then started to dig into his shirt pocket for something. "There's something I want you to have, Nick." He then took out a small and interesting looking item.

It was a willow hoop with net threads in a pattern and a tiny circle in the center. It also had colorful beads and feathers hanging from the bottom of it. Darson handed this interesting item to Nick. Nick held it by the string loop on top.

"Uhhhh... what am I looking at?" Nick asked with confused look on his face.

"It's called a Dreamcatcher." Darson replied. "Pop said my mom was into spiritual stuff. You're suppose to hang it near your bed side. When you dream, the bad dreams gets caught in the net while the goods dreams go through the center hole."

"Oh. So in a way, it keeps the bad dreams out and the good dreams in." Nick said.

"Exactly." Darson said. "My mom actually made this."

"Wait, what?" Nick said a bit stunned. "Your mom made this and you want to give it to me?"

"Yeah." Darson said.

"I can't take this." Nick said as he tried to give it back.

"Why not?" Darson asked.

"Because your mom made it! I mean, I know you never got a chance to know your mom, but don't you still want to keep it so that you always have a small part of it?" Nick asked.

"It's fine. Really." Darson said as he pushes the dreamcatcher back to Nick. "Pop and I have been going through mom's old stuff. She made like **30** of them. 3 are hanging by my bedside right now. Just think of it as an early birthday present."

"Are... you absolutely sure?" Nick asked still looking a bit unsure.

"If you don't take, my mom might take it as an insult and haunt your from her grave." Darson said slyly.

Not wanting to be haunted by the ghost of his former bully's departed mother, Nick happily accepted Darson's dreamcatcher.

"You know what, pop did say it's poor matters to not accept someone's gift." Nick said. "Thank you, Darson."

"I should be the one thanking you." Darson said to Nick. "Thanks to you and Judy here, I'm was able to straight up my life. You're good people, Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps."

"You're not the first people to say that to us..." Nick said.

"... but we sure hope that you're won't be the last." Judy said with a smile.

It was nice to hear some positive motivation for Nick and Judy from Darson. Darson really has changed quite a lot now. Still, he felt that he talked to them long enough.

"Alright. That's enough opening up and expressing my feeling today. I need head home." Darson said. He then put his paw out into a fist. "See ya at school?"

"Yeah." Nick said with a smile and as he bumps Darson's fist.

Darson then turned back around to the kids from Bunnyburrow. "It was nice meeting you, other kids that I don't know the names of." Darson said to them.

"Sharla, Gareth, Libby, Travis, Kyle, and Bobby. They're all from Bunnyburrow, like me and Gideon." Judy said to Darson.

"Got it. I'll try to know who's name is who next time." Darson said. "Later."

Darson was then on his way. But as he walked, Nick called out to him for one more thing to say.

"Darson, wait!" Nick said halting the coyote.

"Yeah?" Darson asked as he turned around.

"Would you... consider joining our pack?" Nick asked.

"Really, Nick?" Finnick said surprised.

"Seriously?" Mervin added.

"I'll... think I'll pass." Darson answered.

"That wasn't a noooooo." Nick said smiling widely.

"Heh. No it wasn't." Darson said smiling back at Nick.

Darson then went back to being on his way. Nick then looked at the dreamcatcher some more and thought it was actually a good gift. He then looked at his friends that... were supposibly giving Nick a bit of the stink eye.

"What?" Nick asked as he shrugged.

"You just like being friends with everyone, don't ya Nick?" Finnick asked with his arms crossed.

"I don't ask to be friends with everyone." Nick said. "But I will be honest with you. I feel that all of my friends are either former bullies, crazies, or weirdos."

"Heeeey!" Everyone else went.

"Not cool, Nick. Wait, am I a crazy or a weirdo?" Mervin said.

"If you have to ask, you already know." Nick said with a straight face.

"*sigh* Weirdo..." Mervin said knowing because of his laughter habit, he was a weirdo.

"I'm not a crazy or a weirdo, am I Nick?" Judy asked.

"No. You're not a crazy or a weirdo." Nick said.

"Aww. That's nice of you to..." Judy said. But before she could finish, Nick started pull at both of her face cheeks. "OWWW! OWWW!"

"You're a crazy weirdo." Nick said as he pulled at Judy's cheeks more. "Since I met you, you been trying to do goals bigger than yourself and that includes being a police officer. You got to be the most crazy and weird bunny in the whole planet."

"Grrr! Well, what about you?" Judy asked. She then started pulling at Nick's cheeks.

"OWWW! HEY!" Nick shouted out in pain.

"Besides that silver tongue of yours, you're the opposite of what I thought what a fox is suppose to be like." Judy said as she pulled Nick's cheeks more. "Your trustworthy and you seem to make everyone's life better. Including my own. You're no different from me."

"Seriously, quit it!" Nick said wanting Judy to let go of his cheeks.

"You quit it!" Judy said wanting Nick to let go.

"NO, YOU!" Nick shouted.

"NO, YOU!" Judy shouted.

Once again, Nick and Judy were at it. There friends were not even surprised anymore.

"Again? Really?" Sharla said.

"Why are we even surprised?" Kyle asked shrugging.

"Haha! I swear, it never gets old." Mervin said laughing a bit.

"They're not gonna make it far as partners with them acting like this." Gareth stated.

"I still feel weird about them both wanting to be cops." Audran said.

"I'm not. In fact, I understand perfectly." Benji said. "I actually want to be a police officer too."

"Wait, WHAT?!"Everyone else went, shocked to hear Benji say that.

"YOU?!" Nick and Judy said as they finally stopped pulling at each other's faces.

"Judging by all of your reactions, I'm guessing you're all surprised." Benji said.

"Uhh... yeah!" Nick said. "This is brand new infomation."

"Ben, how come you never told us this?" Judy asked.

"Well I actually wanted to be a police officer before you two. But unlike you two, there has already been cheetah cops. A fox and a rabbit is totally new and different." Benji stated.

"You still could have told us, Benji." Judy said.

"So, Judy and I know the reasons we want to be police officers. What's your reason, Ben?" Nick asked.

"If I had to guess, I'll would say..." Finnick said but was halted by Benji.

"No, it's not because of the doughnuts." Benji said with a straight face. "And for the record, who here **doesn't** like a good doughtnut?"

Everyone started looking at each other awkwardly. Let's face it. They ALL like doughnuts.

"I actually like a good raspberry glaze." Judy said.

"I'll eat any one that is jelly-filled." Nick said.

"Bear claw." Ronnie said.

"Maple bar." Audran said.

"Lemon curd." Mervin said.

"Powdered suger." Falisha said.

"Pink frosted with sprinklers. Also churros." Gazelle said.

"I'm with City Boy on any one that's jelly-filled." Gideon.

"Anything chocolate." Sharla said.

"Anything vanilla." Gareth said.

"Chocolate glazed with the little candies on it." Libby said.

"Vanilla Creme." Kyle said.

"Chocolate... Eclair." Flash said.

"I love a good cruller." Bobby said.

The only one who didn't respond to Benji's question was Finnick. Everyone turned to Finnick, expecting an answer.

"Finn, everyone else answered. Your turn." Nick said to the fennec.

"I think we already established that we all like doughnuts." Finnick said.

"Finn..." Nick said still waiting to hear Finnick's answer.

"*sigh* I like... mini doughnuts." Finnick muttered quitely.

"Sorry, didn't catch that." Nick said with his paws on the back of one of his ears and leaning closer to hear Finnick better.

"Mini doughnuts, okay?" Finnick said speaking up.

Pretty much everyone else snickered after hearing that. Finnick didn't like it one bit.

"Figures. Little guy Finnick likes the mini doughnuts." Ronnie said chuckling some more.

"What? Does the tiny doughnuts make you feel big?" Mervin asked with a smirk.

"Hey! Back off! There mini so you can have more than one." Finnick stated.

"Fair enough." Falisha said.

"Okay, that's enough about doughnut." Judy said. "Benji, what is the reason you want to be a cop?"

"Well, it all started about two years ago." Benji said while flashing back to that time. "I was playing in the park and some kids were being mean to me. I was chubby back then too. They blasted me with the usual 'Slowpoke' or 'Fatty' name calling. It really upsetted me. But then, a big shadow came from behind me and the bullies ran away. I turned around to see who it was and it was this big police officer. He saved me."

"An big police officer?" Nick asked as he pondered it a bit.

"Yeah." Benji said nodding. "After he scared the kids off, he looked at me and said 'If you don't want kids to pick on you, you better toughen up.'. He was pretty firm when he said that, but I keep his words to heart. Since then, I want to up to become a cop. You know, to help others the way the officer helped me."

"Wow Benji. Such a great reason to join the police officers." Gazelle said.

"Hmm... but it makes me wonder." Nick said still pondering a bit. "Ben, who was this officer you met?"

"I didn't know his name but I do remember what species he was." Benji said. "He was a buffalo."

"A buffalo?!" Nick and Judy said in shock.

"What?" Benji said.

"Benji, was this buffalo tall and muscle?" Judy asked.

"Also was he... kinda intense?" Nick asked.

"Uhh... I don't know if I would call him that, but your description sounds about right." Benji said.

Nick and Judy then had shocked expressions on their faces. If what Benji said was true, then that means the officer he met was Officer Bogo. The same officer Nick and Judy met the first time Judy visited Zootopia.

"Nick..." Judy said as she looks at her fox friend.

"I know. It has to be the same officer we met before." Nick said.

"Met before?" Gazelle said. "So, you actually met the same officer Benji met?"

"It was the first time I came to the city. Nick and I checked out the inside of the ZPD precient." Judy said.

"You mean **YOU** checked out the inside of the ZPD precient." Nick stated firmly. "I told her we shouldn't have gone inside. As we did, big ol' buffalo butt's shadow was behind us. He had to be the scariest guy Judy and I have ever met. Uhhh... what was his name again?"

"I... can't say I remember." Judy admitted.

"Meh. Guess it doesn't really matter." Nick said shrugging. "Odd our he will probably retire by the time we become cops."

"But as scary as he was, he did inspire Benji to cop too. So he can't be all bad." Judy stated.

"Yeah. Guess your right." Nick said agreeing with Judy.

"So when we all become cops, let's all work hard." Benji said sounding determined.

"Right." Nick and Judy said movitated and pumping their fist.

Nick then looked at his dreamcatcher from Darson again.

"Bad dreams get caught in the web, good dreams go through the center." Nick said. "Meaning that you'll only have positive dreams."

"Looks like you like Darson's little gift." Gideon said.

"I do." Nick said smiling.

"Now that you mention it, Darson said to think of that as an early birthday present." Ronnie said. "But if memory is right, you're birthday's coming up, right Nick?"

"Oh yeah. It is." Judy said realizing Ronnie was right.

Nick's birthday was coming up next week. Soon the 9 year old fox will be 10 years old.

"So Nick, how do you feeling about your birthday coming in just a few days?" Judy asked with a smile.

"Meh." Nick simple said while shrugging.

"MEH?!" All his friends went.

"Yes, meh." Nick said.

"What do you mean 'meh'?" Mervin asked Nick. "This is your 10th birthday we're talking about. The big one-o. Double digits, baby! You should be more excited about it."

"Guess I'm just not." Nick said honestly.

This put everyone into shock again. They couldn't believe Nick wasn't excited for his birthday. Most kids would be happy when their birthday comes. So why isn't Nick?

"Seriously, why aren't you?" Judy asked.

"In case most of you guys don't remember, up until now, I never really had much friends to have a party with. Even then, my birthdays weren't much. Just a few presents from family and birthday pie."

"Birthday pie?" Everyone else went.

"Birthday pie." Nick said. "Pie for my birthday."

"You're suppose to have cake." Gideon stated.

"Again, not that I had much friends to share cake with." Nick said.

"Well... that's gonna change." Judy said boldly. "Nick, where going to make your next birthday the best birthday you will ever have."

"That would be great, but I'll pass." Nick said.

"Why?" Everyone else asked.

"Because if I wanted to have a big party, I want to have all my friends to be there." Nick said.

"ANNNNND?" Everyone else went.

"Maybe you all didn't hear me. I want ALL my friends to be there." Nick said firmly.

"ANNNNNNND?" Everyone else said again.

"My birthday is on a Wednesday... on a school day. Meaning my Bunnyburrow friends can't come cause they only visit on the weekends." Nick stated.

"Oh... right..." Judy and the Bunnyburrow kids went. That little fact seem to hit everyone with an arrow of realization.

"I mean, I would like to have a big party. But it wouldn't be the same without Judy, her brothers and sisters, or my other Bunnyburrow friends." Nick said.

"When you put it that way..." Finnick said understanding what Nick meant.

"But still..." Judy said as her ears drooped with a sad look.

"Hey! Hey! Don't give me those sad bunny eyes." Nick said to Judy. "I'm fine with whatever. Besides, you guys know I'm mature for my age."

Nick was a bit more for someone his age. Then the kids all started to the sound of some music. Music that all kids are too familar with.

"Wait! Do you guys hear that?" Nick asked everyone as his ears wiggle.

"That sounds like... " Judy said as her ears go back up.

"ICE CREAM TRUCK!" All the kids shouted out.

"QUICK! EVERYONE, CHECK YOUR POCKETS FOR CASH!" Benji shouted out.

"I'll stop the truck while you all get your cash out." Nick said as he already was on the move to catch up with the truck. He even got on all fours a moment. "HEY! WAIT! SOME KIDS WANT SOME ICE CREAM!" Nick shouted out out.

As the others were still digging in their pockets for money, they decided to talk about Nick and the whole not wanting to have a birthday party.

"Can you guys believe Nick doesn't want to have a big birthday?" Judy asked.

"I know." Sharla said. "When my birthday comes, I like to have it as a big deal."

"Nick says he only wants a party if all his friends could be there." Benji stated.

"Will a few of us here, we could make a birthday party for him. But knowing Nick, he would probably still want Judy and the rest of you to be there." Mervin stated.

"So, what do we do?" Falisha asked.

As they thought about what they should do, Nick came back.

"Guys! I stopped the ice cream truck." Nick said. "For a dollar, we can get a fudgey bar, a rocket pop, a cheery-blueberry twist, a lemon freezy, or a orange creamsicle."

"I'll think I'll have a..." Judy said.

"You know what, you guys just give me the cash and we're just mix-n-match." Nick said with his paw out.

"O... kay..." Judy said as her and others each give Nick dollar.

"Thanks." Nick said happily. He then turned to Benji. "Ben, help my carry the ice cream back."

"Alright." Benji said agreeing to help Nick out.

Nick and Benji then went off to the ice cream truck to get their frozen treats.

"Nick actually seems okay with not having a big party." Kyle said.

"I'm pretty sure it just because he's used to low expectations. Remember, fox." Finnick said.

"Him being a fox shouldn't be the problem anymore." Judy said. "Out of all people in this city, Nick **deserves** a good birthday party. No, he deserves the best party ever."

"We could have a party for him next weekend." Bobby said.

"But... it won't be his birthday then." Gareth said.

"Still..., Nick... has... done... so much... for... all of... us. Should... we... at least... do... the... same... for... him?" Flash asked.

"As long as that was, Flash is right." Ronnie said agreeing with Flash.

"Nick's been one of the best friends any of us could as for. Birthday or not, we got to do something for him to know that we care, eh?" Audran said.

"Eh." Everyone else said agreeing with Audran.

A few seconds later, Nick and Benji were back holding all the ice cream they bought.

"We're back with frozen delights for everyone." Nick said happily. "Pick your treat, guys."

Everyone picked out a fudgey bar, a rocket pop, a cheery-blueberry twist, a lemon freezy, or a orange creamsicle. Whatever which they liked the most. As they all take their treats out of the wrapper, Nick told everyone to raise their ice cream up.

"To awesome friends." Nick said joyfully as he raised his fudgey bar up.

"To awesome friends!" Everyone else went with their ice cream up before eating them.

The kids all enjoyed their treats as well as the rest of the day. As they did, Judy couldn't still couldn't help but feel weird about Nick not wanting a birthday party.

Later the evening, it was time for the Bunnyburrow kids to head back home. Judy however, she wanted to stay in Zootopia a bit longer. Her parents felt weird unsure about it, but then John and Frankie said they could take Judy back home tommorow themselves. Stu and Bonnie were okay with that. So they let Judy stay with the Wildes for the night. Judy was happy about that.

Hours later, it was time for Nick and Judy to go to bed. Nick aloud Judy to sleep in his room. The two were currently in Nick's room after changing into their pjs. Nick put a hanger by his bed and put the dreamcatcher he got from Darson on it.

"Annnd... there." Nick said as he finishes hanging up the dreamcatcher. "Look out, bad dreams."

"Haha." Judy laughed.

"Okay. Let me get the sleeping bag out. I'll sleep in that while you can take my bed." Nick said to Judy.

"What? This is **your** room and **your** bed. I can't just take it from you and let you sleep on the floor." Judy stated to the fox.

"You're my guest. I don't mind." Nick said.

"Well I do." Judy said firmly. "Everytime you sleepover at my house, you're able to have a bed. I wouldn't feel comfortable if I let you sleep on the in a sleeping bag and your own bed."

"Well... what do you suggest we do?" Nick asked.

"In my family, we compromise. So what do you want to do?" Judy asked.

"We could..." Nick said as he started to blush and scratch the back of his head. "... _share_ the bed."

This made Judy's face red.

"Sh... sh... share the bed? Isn't that kinda... awkward?" Judy asked still red-faced.

"On... only if we make it awkward." Nick stated red-faced himself. "Come on, my parents sleep in the same bed all the time." As Nick said that, he thought "Why did I say that?".

"Ri... right. It's the same for my parents too." Judy stated. As Judy said that, she thought "Why did I say that?" She then said something else to Nick. "Heck, I use to share a bed with 5 or 8 of my brothers and sisters." Inside her head, Judy was slapping herself in the face and thought "Stopping talk, Judy!".

"Yeah. We're totally good freinds. So sleeping in the same bed should be no big deal." Nick said still sounding conflicted about all of this. "Alright. Let's just get some sleep now."

"Right." Judy said.

So the two turned of the lamplight and got into the covers of Nick's bed. While they both said it wasn't awkward being in the same bed, it really was. Nick and Judy were close but never close enough for this. Nick and Judy both looked at each other and said "Goodnight." before turning the opposite way and drifting to sleep.

A few hours in the night, Judy woke back up. Guess Judy couldn't really sleep. She kepting about throwing a birthday party for Nick. She didn't want the fact it's on a school day change anything. Judy then turned around and as she did, she realized Nick's face was in front of her now. Nick was still asleep, but he must have turned around.

"When did he turned around?" Judy thought all red-faced. As she looked at Nick, she sees that he has a big grin on his face. She actually started smiling too. "Even in his sleep, Nick still has that goofy grin. He really does make everyone's life better and he works so hard." Judy then started to look sad. "Too bad not enough people see him for more than just a fox. If foxes are treated half as badly as he is sometimes, then the world is being too hard on all foxes."

Judy just had to speak with Nick some more. So she lightly tapped on his nose to wake him up.

"Nick. Nick." Judy said quietly.

"Ugggh..." Nick said groggy and with his eyes still closed. "Carrots, I told you. We can sleep in as long as we want."

"I know. It's just that... I wanted to tell you something." Judy said.

"What?" Nick said still with his eyes shut.

"You... you know that I completely trust you, no matter what, right?" Judy asked.

Nick opened his eyes as Judy said that. "I know, Judy." Nick told her.

"I... just want to make sure you know that." Judy said.

"Well I do." Nick said to her. "Judy, you know that I would never do anything to break that trust, right?"

"I know, Nick." Judy said to Nick. "You can be sneaky sometimes, but I still know you're good in the inside. Nick, do you remember when you said that I was the most amazing person that you ever met?"

"Yeah?" Nick said.

"I just want you to know that **you're** the most amazing person that I have ever met." Judy said sincerely and true.

"Haha." Nick lightly laughed. He then held Judy's paw. "I'm only amazing cause you help me stay that way. Like I told you before, your friendship is precious to me."

"Me too, Nick. Me too." Judy said with a smile feeling the same way.

"Alright." Nick said after letting go of Judy's paw. "Back to sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Slick." Judy said.

The two then turned back around and went back to sleep. Happy that both of them trust one enough. Even if they both already knew that.

"Nick, I'll be sure that you have the best birthday ever." Judy thought.

Judy was still determined to give Nick the birthday party he deserved.

 **That's all for this chapter. Took a bit longer than I wanted it too, but I glad I finished this one. Next chapter, Nick's birthday. Will he get the party he always wanted? Find out in the next chapter.**


	38. Chapter 36: Nick's Birthday

**500 followers! This story now has 500 followers! O...M... GOODNESS! I didn't even think this story would get half that much. Thank you all! Okay, that's enough of my joyful screaming. Chapter 36. Didn't think I would take this story so far. This is gonna be, by far, one of the most important chapters to read. If you guys remember the last chapter, it was mentioned that Nick's Birthday was coming up. But the young fox says he doesn't want a big birthday party. Not unless all of his friends will be there. There will be quite a few moments. From adorable stuff with Nick and Judy to some shocking details. But wait, there's more. Be sure to really read the end of this chapter. I can not stress on how important the ending is. Seriously! From the last words. With that said, let's start the chapter.**

* * *

It was Wednesday in Zootopia. It was also a very special day. Today was Nick's 10th birthday. The little fox was now in the double digits. But Nick felt that it was no big deal. Even with the birthday pancakes his mom made for him this morning and all the b-day shoutouts he was getting from his friends and other classmates. Guess Nick was serious when he said he didn't think his birthday was a big deal to him. Nick was currently in class, taking notes and waiting for the bell to ring.

"Remember children, they will be a spelling test tomorrow and an English test on Friday." Ms. Rollah, Nick's teacher, said to her class.

"Two tests in one week? Just great..." Nick thought not too happy about that.

At that moment, the school bell rang.

"Class dismissed." Ms. Rollah said. She then looked at Nick. "Oh... and Nick, Happy Birthday."

"Happy Birthday, Nick!" Nick's classmates shouted out happily.

"Thank you, everyone." Nick said with a smile.

With that said, the students all packed up their books and supplies and made their way out of class. As Nick left the classroom, Darson wanted to catch up with him.

"Wait up, Birthday Boy!" Darson shouted out to Nick.

"Huh?" Nick said as he turned around to see Darson. "Oh hey, Dars."

Nick and Darson then started walking side by side.

"So Mr. 10, how are you feeling today?" Darson asked with a smile.

"I'm good. The same as usual." Nick replied.

"The same? Bud, it's your birthday and you're 10 now. You should be living it up." Darson stated.

"Like I told the others, my birthday's not really a big deal for me." Nick said.

"What about a birthday party? You **are** having a birthday party, right?" Darson asked. He then started to look concern. "Hold on. Am I not invited?" Darson then started to look worried. "Why am I'm not invited? I thought we were friends now."

"We are." Nick said trying to calm Darson down. "It's not that I'm having a party. it's just that I don't **want** a party."

"Why not?" Darson asked. "Oh wait. Is it because your girlfriend..."

"Grrrrr..." Nick growled knowing he was referring to Judy.

"... WITH a space in the middle..." Darson added so Nick would get angry. "... Judy can't come because it's not the weekend?"

"That's not the reason. Well, not the only reason. I really would want to have ALL my friends there. Bunnyburrow friends including." Nick stated. "Besides, I don't really need a big party."

"Need and want are two different things, Nick Wilde." Darson said to the fox.

"Look man, I have a lot of good things to happen in my life. I have a bunch of friends, pop's business is blooming, and kids in school don't see my as shady anymore. I can manage not having some big party." Nick said to Darson.

"Are you sure?" Darson asked.

"Positive." Nick said while nodded.

"Well, alright." Darson said. "Guess I'll see you, tomorrow." Darson then patted Nick on the back.

"Yeah." Nick said with a smile.

Darson then ran off to head home. Nick decided to do the same. He usually would meet up with the others before heading off home. But here's the thing. Benji, Mervin, Audran, Ronnie, and Falisha were nowhere to be found. Nick would usually meet up with them in the hallway or at the front of the school. Nick was currently at the front of the school and none of his friends were to be found.

"Huh. That's weird. Where are the others?" Nick asked himself. Nick then hears the honking of a car horn. He looks at the direction where he could hear the honking and see that it's from his family's car. His mother was in the car waving at him. "Mom?"

"Sweetie, over here." Frankie said waving at Nick.

Nick walked over to the car.

"I thought it would be appropriate to pick the birthday boy up." Frankie said with a smile. "Get in, honey."

"Alright." Nick said as he opens up the passenger's seat door and steps in the car. "So, heading back home?"

"Not quite." Frankie said to her son. "I actually have a few errands I need to take care of. Your father was busy too, so I thought I you should come too."

"Help with my mom with errands... on my birthday? Shouldn't I be aloud a pass for stuff like that?" Nick asked looking like he'd rather do something else.

"Come now, be a good boy and help your mommy." Frankie said to Nick.

"Fine..." Nick said as he put his seatbelt on. "I just hope this won't be too long."

"No promises." Frankie said with a smirk.

Frankie then started the car and began driving. Traffic was pretty busy in Zootopia. It felt that traffic wasn't moving at all. Nick was bored just walking for the cars to move forward.

"Mom, what kind of errands do we have to do?" Nick asked.

"You know the Community Center across town?" Frankie asked Nick. "We're just helping out with this little event. It's always nice to help the community, right?"

"I guess." Nick replied. "What exactly are we doing?"

"Ohhhh... you'll find out when we get there." Frankie said.

Confused as he was, Nick just went with it. After a few minutes, Nick and Frankie made it to the Downtown Zootopia Community Center. A big one-story building with white brick walls. The Community Center was the place that people who lived downtown would use for social meeting, activities, or special events.

"Here we are." Frankie said as she got out of the car. "Now let's go inside."

"Okay." Nick said to his mom.

The two then go inside and start walking down the hallway after signing in at the front desk. The building was oddly quiet and it didn't seem like anyone else was really here. This made Nick start to feel weird and suspicious. Then, Nick and Frankie stopped at a big two-way door.

"Okay. We're here." Frankie said to Nick. "Go on and open the door."

"Me first?" Nick asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. The event we're doing is through the door." Frankie said.

"The event, huh?" Nick thought. Nick was a smart kid. It didn't take long for him to put two and two together. Him and his friends not meeting up, his mom picked him up, driving to a heavy traffic area, and not the Community Center. It was pretty obvious at this point. "My family and friends are trying to throw me a birthday party." Nick sighed at the thought. "I already told them. I don't want a big party. Not without all my friends. Not without Judy." Even with that thought in mind, Nick still decided to open the door. "Let's just get this over with."

Nick then opened the door, expecting to see a small party. Except... it was the total opposite. The big room was filled with hundreds of mammals and shouted out "SURPRIIIIIIISE!"

"WAAAAAAAHHHH!" Nick shouted out surprised. He even fell down right on his tush.

A small giggle was heard and a little bunny walked to the grounded fox. It was none other than Judy.

"Looks like you were pretty surprised." Judy said before giggling some more.

"Ju... Judy?" Nick uttered in total shock. "Is that really you?"

"Uhh... last time I checked, yeah." Judy said answering his question.

"Wha... what's going on here?" Nick asked still in a bit of shock.

"You're really not on the ball today, are you?" Judy said with a smile. "This right here is your birthday party."

"Happy Birthday, Nick!" Everyone else happily shouted out. Flash had a party blower in his mouth and blew it.

It was pretty obvious that everyone was here because it was Nick's birthday. There was even a big banner behind everyone said in big bold letters 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NICK!'.

"Wha... what? How... how...?" Nick studdered still in awe of everything. "I said I didn't want a big party."

"Nuh uh uh! You said that you didn't want a big party if all of your friends were here. Well Nick, ALL your friends ARE here." Judy said. "Your Zootopia friends..." Benji, Finnick, and the others all waved at Nick. Even Darson and the five former scouts were here. "... their families..." Some of the parents and siblings of the Zootopia kids also waved at Nick. "... Gideon and the gang from Bunnyburrow..." Gideon and all the burrow kids also waved at Nick. "... and, for the first time ever, ALL the Hopps kids are here."

"All of them?!" Nick asked surprised.

"All of us." Judy asked.

"Greg, Eric, Cole, Conner, Lily, Auggie, Cammy, and Wendy?" Nick asked.

"Right here, Nick." Greg said while happily waving at Nick with Eric, the twins, Lily, August, Cammy, and Wendy by him."

"Xand, Gwen, Ellie, Mikey, Paul, and even Eddy?" Nick asked.

"Over here, Nicky." Xand said as he waved at Nick with his the others.

"Yo." Edgar said in his usual 'don't care' matter.

"What about Gerald, Herman, Eugene, Patty, Amanda, Ivory..." Nick asked still saying more names of the Hopps kids. Then Judy closed his muzzle to keep Nick quiet.

"Nick! I said it once and I'll say it again. ALL the Hopps kids are here. All of us." Judy said firmly to her friend before letting go of his muzzle.

"Just checking." Nick said with a smirk. "But how are you all here? I thought you wouldn't be here because of school."

"Funny you should mention that." Judy said.

"School got canceled for the week." Gideon said.

"Apparently, there was a bit of a flea infestation in the school." Bobby stated. "Also, something about them being 'flesh-eating'."

The second flesh-eating was mentioned, everyone who lived in Zootopia stepped back from the Bunnyburrowers.

"Okay, none of us have fleas. We checked twice before we got here." Kyle said firmly.

"So with that, we all decided to plan your birthday." Judy said. "It took a LOT to get us all here, but because of that, it made it all so easy to set this party up for you."

"We got everything from music to games to party favors to snacks." Benji said happily.

"All this for me?" Nick asked still in awe of it all.

"Of course." John said as he walks to his son with something behind him. "Nick, I've always wanted to give you the things that you deserve. Thanks to Judy and your friends here, we were able to give you the birthday party you deserve."

"I don't know what say." Nick said.

"It's your birthday. I think you will come up with something." Judy said.

John then gave his son a paper crown. Nick's birthday hat. Nick looked at the crown and then at all the people that came to wish him a happy 10th birthday. After all of that, Nick felt overwhelmed with happiness. He then got back up and took the crown and put it on his head. After cleaning his throat, Nick finally said something.

"Ahem. My dearest and loyal subjects..." Nick said in a kingly voice. "As it is my day of birth, I, your king, Nicholas Piberius Wilde, decree one thing." Nick then went back to talking normal. "We make this the best party ever!"

"Woooooo!" Everyone shouted out joyfully.

So with Nick's words, the best birthday party Nick will ever have began. Everyone put on their party hats and had some fun. On their instruments, Xand, Mikey, and Paul played some upbeat rock music for everyone.

Fully excited about his party, Nick looked around to see everything his party had to offer. A super long table with chips, punches, pretzels, and many boxes of pizza. On another side were games like Hooveser (basically Twister), giant Junga, and a limbo stick, in which some of the Hopps kids were already involved with. But what really caught Nick's eye was the mountain of presents. Hundreds of gifts in wrapping and ribbons.

"WOAH! Is that a present mountain?!" Nick asked still in awe of it.

"Yep!" Judy said to her happy fox friend.

"Hate to break it to you and your sibs, Carrots, but I'm **pretty sure** I have you all beat on birthday presents." Nick stated with a sly grin.

"I'm pretty sure you have ANYONE beat on birthday presents." Judy stated.

"Honestly, I don't know if I could open all of them today." Nick said. He then rubbed his paws together looking eager. "But I'm totally gonna try."

"Later." Judy said as she pulls Nick away from his presents. "The party has just started."

"Awwww!" Nick said pouting.

"Yo, Wilde!" Shouted out someone who walked over to him. It was Darson.

"Yooooou..." Nick said while waving his finger at Darson. "You know about this party and you said what you said to throw me off."

"Guilty." Darson said shrugging and smirking.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Judy said with a smile as she goes off.

"Darson, you are a sneaky one." Nick said with a grin on his face.

"Like you're one to talk, pal." Darson said. "For the record, I didn't find out until yesterday. Besides, I couldn't spoil the surprise."

"Fine. Since it's my birthday and I'm such a forgiving fox... and king..." Nick said taking the 'king' thing pretty serious. "... I'll let it slide."

"Thank you, your majesty." Darson said while bowing.

"Alright. Alright. Enjoy the party." Nick said shooing Darson away.

Darson then left to enjoy the party. As Nick looked at everyone who was talking, playing, or dancing, someone called out to Nick. It was Mervin.

"Nick, over here." Mervin said calling Nick over. The happy boy hyena was also with his brothers, Miles, Murray, Mac, Mali, and Merlin. Mervin was also holding his baby sister, Melody.

Nick walks over to the Howlino kids.

"Well if it isn't my favorite hyenas? The 7Ms." Nick said to the siblings.

"Ha! Funny, cause people actually do call us that." Mali stated with a smile.

"It's great to see ya again, Nick." Miles said to the fox.

"You guys too." Nick said with a smile. He then looked at Melody in Mervin's arm. "Hello, little Melody." Nick then lightly tickled Melody. She responded by giggling. He then looked back at the brothers. "Thank you all for coming to my party."

"No problem." Mac said before taking a bite out of a pizza slice. "The food's great here."

"You don't know how hard it was to keep this whole party a secret from you." Mervin said to Nick.

"Were you close to spilling the beans?" Nick asked.

"Not me. Ben." Mervin stated.

"Ben. Of course." Nick said knowing how Benji usually is. "I thought Benji was a bit giddier than his usual self during the week. Well it's a good thing he didn't spill the beans."

"Yeah. You should have seen your face." Mervin said smiling.

"You were all like 'WAAAAAAAHHHH!'..." Merlin said imitating Nick when he screamed. "... and then you fell down right on the ground."

"Priceless." Murray said.

The Howlino boys then all started to do some hearty laughter.

"Ah ha... funny." Nick said not sounding amused. "Glad that you people find me falling on my tushie humorous."

"Hey now. Don't take it too serious." Mervin said as he gives Melody to Merlin to hold. He then walked to Nick and patted him on the back. "It's your birthday after all. Laugh a little."

"You're right. It's my birthday and I'm the birthday boy." Nick said happily. "Wait. Scratch that. **Birthday King**."

"Haha! Whatever you say, 'Birthday King'." Mervin said with a smirk.

Nick had gotten along with Mervin and his family quite well. They all actually started seeing the little fox as part of their family.

"You know Nick, Mervin considers you to be like another brother to him." Miles stated. "So in a way, you're like a brother to all of us, too."

"Oh." Nick said sounding surprised. "I wasn't expecting you to say that. You know I always wanted big brothers."

"Well then, consider us as your honorary big bros." Murray said happily.

"Okay." Nick said with a smile.

As Nick said that, Miles, Mac, and Murray all had sinister grins on their faces.

"Heh heh! And do you know what we do to our little brothers?" Miles said in a devious matter.

"Guys, no!" Mervin said looking scared for Nick.

"Come on, go easy on him." Mali said also looking scared for Nick.

"What? What's going on?" Nick asked looking both confused and worried.

As the three older Howlino brothers circled around Nick, the little fox was confused why. Mervin and his two other brothers were already familiar with this. Miles, Mac, and Murray balled up their right fists, placed them around Nick's head, and then twist them into a continuous matter. This was known as the...

"NOOGIE STORM!" The three hyenas went as they noogied poor Nick.

"AHHH! AHHH! AHHH!" Nick shouted out in pain.

"Yep! Saw that coming." Mervin said as he shook his head.

"Bros, uncool to do that to the poor guy." Merlin said feeling bad for Nick.

After a few torturing seconds, the boys stopped nooging Nick. Nick's crown hat was now a little lump-sided. Nick also had to rub the sides of his head to ease the pain of the 'noogie storm' he just had to deal with.

"Ugggghhhh..." Nick went as he continues to rubbed the sides of his head. "Mervin... is this what you have to go through all the time?"

"Pretty much." Mervin replied.

"Haha! We were just having fun with ya, birthday boy. No hard feelings." Miles said joyfully.

"Yeah, sure..." Nick said sounding like he didn't mean it as he straightens up his crown.

"Alright, let's get some more grub." Mac said feely peckish.

"Let's." Murray said feeling he could go for more food too. "See ya, Birthday Boy."

Miles, Mac, and Murray all left and headed for the snack table. Leaving Nick with Mervin, Mali, Merlin, and Melody.

"I'm surprised you two didn't join in on that." Nick said to Mali, and Merlin.

"There's a three-year gap between us and the other guys. So we're closer to Mervin's age than them." Merlin stated.

"We know all too well about the dreaded _noogie storm_ and wouldn't wish that upon anyone." Mali stated.

"You want to know what the weird part is?" Nick asked younger Howlinos.

"What?" Mervin asked.

"I kinda liked it." Nick said with a small smile.

After a few seconds of silence, Mali responded by saying "Mervin was right. You're a weird fox."

"Weird." Little Melody said.

"Better weird than average." Nick said proudly.

Nick was proud of the person he was. He may be different compared to most foxes, but what's wrong with being different? If others thought he was weird, he was okay with it. Besides, he already knew that all his friends and their families weren't exactly normal either.

Meanwhile, elsewhere at the party, Judy was talking to Sharla and Falisha as they were enjoying some party punch. As they went on about how great the party was, someone called out to Judy.

"Ohhhhh Judith?!"

Judy's ears went up as she turned around to see who was calling her. It was Frankie and it looked like John was with her. The two were waving at Judy and asking her to come over so they could speak with her.

"I think Mr. and Mrs. Wilde want to talk to you." Falisha said.

"I wonder what for?" Judy asked sounding curious.

"Maybe they want to give you permission to marry Nick when you get older." Sharla said all giddy.

"You know you really need to stop thinking about this whole 'Nick-and-I romance' business." Judy said firmly. She then started walking over to where John and Frankie were. As she did, she thought this. "Besides, Mrs. Wilde already kinda gave me permission..."

Judy now was with John and Frankie.

"So, it looks like we own a certain little bunny once again for our son's happiness." John said with a big smile.

"Judy, we can thank you enough for helping us throw this party for him." Frankie said thanking Judy.

"Come now, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde. This was a group effort." Judy said not wanting to take all of the credit. "I was just more than happy to help. Nick is my best friend, after all. I just really wanted him to have a party like this. Even if it's the only time."

"Hopefully, it won't be the last time." Frankie said sounding hopeful for the future.

"Judy, sweetheart, no words can express how happy we are that you are friends with our boy." John said as he leans down to Judy. "So just know, there will always be a spot for you in our family."

"Thank you, Mr. Wilde." Judy said with a smile.

John and Frankie feel that they own Judy a lot ever since she became friends with Nick. It's was like Nick's life was always filled with joy and it's because of that, they feel joy as well.

"Alright. That's all we wanted to say." Frankie said to Judy. "Go on and enjoy the party, sweetie."

"Okay." Judy said nodding.

As Judy was able to head back to where Sharla and Falisha were, Frankie said one thing to the little bunny.

"Oh... and Judy?" Frankie said getting Judy's attention one more time.

"Yes?" Judy said looking back at Frankie.

"Remember our promise." Frankie said with a sly smirk.

Judy's ears drooped down and she started to blush madly. Frankie was referring to the promise of taking care of Nick when they get older.

"Mrs. Wilde!" Judy shouted out in embarrassment.

"Also, remember what I told about falling for the 'Wilde Charm'." John said also with a sly smirk on his face.

"Mr. Wilde!" Judy shouted out still in embarrassment. Not wanting to make any more outbursts and attract attention, Judy quickly walked away from the two foxes.

"I like that little bunny a lot." Frankie said to John. "Our son sure knows how to pick them."

" Of course he does." John said to Frankie. He then held his wife close to him. "Where do you think he gets from?"

"Hmm. You and that 'Wilde Charm' of yours." Frankie said smiling at her husband.

"It worked on you, didn't it?" John asked with a smirk.

As John and Frankie were in their _Married Couple World_ , Judy went back to Sharla and Falisha. Judy was still pretty red-faced.

"So, did you get permission?" Sharla asked Judy, still referring to the whole marriage thing.

"That's not what we talked about!" Judy said firmly.

"Then why is your face so red?" Falisha asked.

"SHUT UP!" Judy shouted out all flustered.

Judy did not want to tell them what her and Nick's parents talked about. But with an outburst like that, it wasn't that hard.

During the next hour, the party went on and on. The kids were enjoying everything and the parents were too. One thing Nick, Judy, and a few of the other kids were doing was playing giant darts. Believe it not, Finnick was the one racking up the points. He boasted almost as much as Nick does.

Some of the dads, Nick's dad, Judy's dad, Mervin's dad, and Finnick's dad, wanted to test their limberness. So they decided to do some limbo. Finnick's old man pretty much just had to walk under the stick because of his... small height. Mr. Howlino... pretty much threw his back out from bending too low. Then the same thing happened to Stu. You think for someone who works on the farm so much would be more flexible. Most of the kids just laughed at the sight. It was mainly the fact that their parents were getting old.

After some more games and dancing, everyone gathers around because it was time for Nick to open some of the presents he got. Nick was overly excited about all the presents he had.

"So much presents! I don't know which one to open for first." Nick said jumping up and down. He then looked at all of the boxes, big and small. "Should I pick that one? Or that one?"

"Open mine first, City Boy." Gideon said holding a tiny box with blue present and red ribbon. He then handed it to Nick.

"Uhhhh... kinda small." Nick said looking disappointed.

"Just open it. I know you'll like it." Gideon said with a confident smile.

"Alright..." Nick said as he opens the tiny box.

The other kids were curious on what Gideon got Nick.

"Wonder what he got him?" Judy asked Finnick.

"Probably nothing special." Finnick said not sounding impressed.

"*gasp* OH MY GOD!" Nick shouted out happily. He then pulled out a tiny dessert treat wrapped in plastic. "A BLUEBERRY TART!"

That was Gideon's gift to Nick. A simple blueberry tart that he made for him. But knowing Nick's love for blueberries, he was more than happy with this gift.

"A... blueberry tart?" Finnick said surprised.

"Of course. He knows Nick loves blueberries, so he gave him something WITH blueberries." Judy stated with her paw on her face.

Nick didn't waste time eating the tart. To him, it was one of the best bites of food he has ever had in his life.

"Mmmmmmm. Gid, you outdid yourself." Nick said after enjoying the tart.

"You should also see something else in the box." Gideon said to Nick.

Nick looked into the box and sees a little card inside. He takes the card out and sees ingredients and instructions.

"Is... is this... the recipe?" Nick asked trembling a bit.

"So you and your ma can make it anytime y'all wanted to." Gideon said with a smile.

Nick then started to get emotional. "Bring it in, man." Nick said with open arms.

Nick and Gideon then hugged it out. As they did, the others kids felt a little jealous that Nick liked Gideon's gift so much.

"Did... the rest of us got beat by Gideon's fruit tart?" Mervin asked everyone else.

"I think we were better off just giving him blueberries, eh?" Audran stated.

Finnick then rushed in and gave Nick his present. It was another small box, but bigger than Gideon's was.

"Alright. Alright. You get it. Ya like Gid's blueberry tart." Finnick said as he pushes Gideon back. "But now open your **best** fox friend's present."

"What did you get me?" Nick asked Finnick as he looks at the present.

"You know that super cool yo-yo you wanted at that toy store?" Finnick asked.

"Yeah?" Nick replied.

"The one that lights up and makes the cool sounds?" Finnick asked.

"Yeah?!" Nick replied sounding excited.

"They... sold out of those." Finnick said feeling bad that up talked as if he got the yo-yo for Nick. "So, all I could get you was a regular yo-yo."

"Oh." Nick said sounding a mix between mad and disappointed. But as he takes out the blue plastic yo-yo, it didn't look all that bad. "Well... technically, a yo-yo's still a yo-yo." Nick then started to play with the yo-yo a bit. The yo-yo went up and down. So it goes to say that the yo-yo was a proper one. "And it's yos just fine. Thanks, Finn."

"Kinda hyped it up too much, did ya Finnick?" Mervin said with a smirk.

"Grrrrrrr..." Finnick growled.

"Open your hyena bro's gift next, Nick." Mervin said giving Nick a book-shaped present.

"Feels like a book." Nick said as he holds the present.

"It is a book. Now unwrap it." Mervin said sounding eager for Nick.

"Alright." Nick said unwrapping the gift. Like Mervin said, it was a book. A book that Nick seems more than happy to receive. "NO WAY!"

"What? What is it?" Judy asked curiously what book Mervin got Nick.

Nick lifted up the book and showed the title of it two everyone. "1001 MORE Animal Puns!" Nick said happily.

Most of the kids flinched after hearing the title.

"There's... another book?" Judy and Finnick said not too happy about that. Nick had already had the first 1001 Animals Puns book.

"My brothers and I had to look at 4 different stores to find that. We found it at an old thrift shop in the Rainforest District." Mervin stated. "Best part, I didn't read any of the jokes. So the puns are totally fresh for me."

"Wow! Thanks, Mervin!" Nick said happily.

"Yeah... Thanks, Mervin..." Judy, Finnick, Ronnie, Audran, and Falisha said not sounding too happy to hear more of Nick's jokes in the near future.

Nick was already opening up the book, ready to read it. "First pun..." Nick said as he was about to read the first page. But before he could, Ronnie closed the book right away.

"Nope!" Ronnie said as he takes the book away from Nick.

"HEY!" Nick shouted out at Mervin looking mad.

"No time for puns. Time for opening more presents." Ronnie stated. He then gave Nick a small white gift box. "Here's mine."

"Hmpt!" Nick went puffing out his cheeks. He was still pretty mad at Ronnie.

"Come on. Just open mine. It has _sentimental_ value." Ronnie said sincerely.

"Well... alright." Nick said as he gets over Ronnie's book closing stunt and as he takes his present.

Nick opened up the box and found a fishing lure inside. But not just any lure. It was the same silver fox lure that he used during the fishing trip they had.

"The silver fox!" Nick said surprised to see it.

"Yeah. The same one we used to bag the _Leviathan of the Lake_." Ronnie stated. "Papa Bear and I thought you should keep it."

"Man, feels like a long time since we bag that big guy." Nick said recalling the day of the fishing trip. "My arms feel tired just remember that."

"Mine too. Even with the bear strength." Ronnie said stretching out his right arm a bit.

"This is a great gift, Ron." Nick said happily. "I'll be sure to take good care of it."

"You better. They're bigger fish out there in the world that we need to catch." Ronnie said eagerly.

"Maybe... that should wait til we're older." Nick said awkwardly.

Falisha then walked over with her present for Nick.

"This one is from me." Falisha said giving the present to Nick. "I thought you should have these."

Nick didn't know what Falisha got him, but he was more than happy to open up the gift to see the present. Inside the box was a police cap and toy badge.

"Oh ho ho! A police cap! And a badge!" Nick said as he took them out the box.

"Since you want to work for the ZPD one day, as a fellow future crime solver, I thought I should give you these." Falisha said happily.

Nick took off his paper crown and put on the police cap. It was a perfect fit.

"How do I look?" Nick asked his friends.

"Like a real law-abiding citizen." Judy said with a smile.

"It fits! I was worried that it might have picked one too small for that big head of yours." Falisha said with a sly grin.

"My heads not that big." Nick said looking peeved.

"It's the only thing bigger than your ego." Falisha stated still smirk.

"Are you finished? Cause if not..." Nick said sounding serious. He then held the badge in front of Falisha's point of view. "... I could have you locked up for those insults."

"Taking it a bit serious, Nicky." Falisha said.

"Fine." Nick said shrugging. "Guess that is abusing the power of the badge." Nick then took off the police cap and put back on his paper crown. "But as your king, I won't allow any more insults about my the size of my head... or ego."

"As you wish, my king." Falisha said as she curtsied. Then she thought "They just HAD to give him a crown, did they?".

"Okay. Who's present I should open next?" Nick asked as he rubbed his paws together.

"My present doesn't need unwrapping. So I give you it." Audran said. He then rushed to the mountain of presents. He gets out a wooden toy train with a blue ribbon on it. "Here it is."

"Oooh! A toy train." Nick said as Audran gives him the train. "You know, I always loved trains."

"Why a wooden train? Could you get a real cool toy train?" Finnick asked.

"This IS a real cool toy train. It may look simple, but there's value in this little train." Audran stated. "Before my family moved here, we lived in the same town as my grandpa. Heusese to run a small toy shop where she would sell toys like this. This was one of the very trains he made."

"This was made by your grandpa?" Nick asked sounding surprised.

"Uh huh. One of his many." Audran stated.

"He was actually able to make this with hooves?" Nick asked raising an eyebrow.

"Hey. Your dad is able to tailor suits from the smallest mouse to the largest elephant. Even with hooves, with the right tools, anyone could do this." Audran said boldly. "So don't doubt my grandpa's work, eh?"

"Fair enough." Nick said agreeing with Audran's words. Nick then held the train up a bit as he looks at the craftmenship. "It is nicely done. Thanks!"

"You're welcome, Nick." Audran said with a smile.

"Okay. Who's present is next?" Nick asked.

As he did, Flash slowly picked out his gift from the pile of presents. He then walked to Nick... very... very... slowly. So slowly in fact, Ronnie and Audran picked Flash up from the ground, quickly moved him, and dropped him near Nick.

"Here... you... go,... Nick." Flash said handing Nick his gift.

"Thank you, Flash Flash 100-yard dash." Nick said as he takes his gift. "Wonder what you got me?"

Nick then humorously slowly and careful unwrapped the gift. As he was he was sloth. It wasn't really humorous to everyone else.

"You're pushing it, Slick Nick." Judy said getting a bit mad.

"Alright. Alright." Nick said as he unwraps the present normally. He unwraps it and sees what the gift was. It was a snazzy red model car with black stripes in the hood. It looked like an 2000 mustang. "Wooooooaaaahhh! A red model car?! Awesome!"

"Also... look... in... the... box." Flash said.

"The box?" Nick asked looking interesting. "What's in the..." Then Nick took out what looked like a pass of some kind. "A PASS TO GO GO-KARTING?!"

"WHAT?!" Most of the kids shouted out.

"Do... you... like... it?" Flash asked.

"ABSOLUTELY 100%!" Nick shouted out happily. "Thanks, Flash! Go-karting! I can barely wait."

As slow as Flash was, liking speed is in his name and it shows with the gifts he gave Nick. It also seems that he was in the lead for best present. It also made some of the boys wish they had passes for go-karting.

"Say Flashy, my birthday's coming up in a couple of weeks. So if you want to..." Mervin said wanting to have a chance to go go-karting as well.

"Merv, don't even try." Finnick said to Mervin. But then he tried doing the exact same thing. "Flash, buddy, would it be much trouble to if I could get one of those..."

"You boys can't even be subtle, can ya?" Judy said to the boys.

"Don't blow this for us." Finnick and Mervin said while gritting their teeth.

"Next present." Nick said wanting to move on to the next gift.

"Ooh! Mine! Mine!" Benji said eagerly as he gives Nick a present with a spotted pattern on it.

"No no! You should open my next." Bobby said eagerly holding a black wrapped present.

"No. Open ours, Nick." Cole and Conner said as they held a red and blue-striped present.

" _Abre mi regalo_ , Nick." Gazelle said with a red present.

Nearly everyone who's gift Nick has opened yet wanted Nick to open theirs next. Nick felt very overwhelmed.

"One at a time, everyone. I promise I'll get to all of your gifts..." Nick said before looking back at all of his gifts. He still had quite a lot of presents to open. Pretty much in the hundreds actually. That's what happens when all the Hopps kids have presents for Nick. "... eventually."

As the time went by, Nick opened up more and more of his birthday presents. He got presents from actions figures, to comic books, regular books, toy cars, video games, an jar of blueberry jam, handmade gifts, all that kind of stuff. He even got a new bike from his parents. Nick was happy with each and every gift he had.

After a while, Nick did a... _decent_ dent to the mountain of presents. Eventually, he had to stop opening presents because he didn't want drain the rest of his birthday's party time.

"Thanks for all the gifts, everyone. But uhhh... I think I'll have to open the rest when I get home. Don't want to waste anymore time with the party here." Nick said.

"Hang on." Chuck said as he walks up to Nick with Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed. "There's just ONE more present that you just have to open."

"We had to pull some strings to get this for you." Wilfred said.

Chuck then handed Nick a dark green envelop.

"An... regular envelop?" Nick said not impressed.

"Look at the sender, Nick. We promise it won't disappoint you." Phillip said with a smile.

"Okay..." Nick said as he looked at the front of the envelop to see who the sender was. When he did, his eye widen. "It says... it's from the Main Branch of the Ranger Scouts."

This got everyone's attention.

"The Main Branch of the Ranger Scouts?!" Nick's friends all said surprised.

"W... why would the main branch send me a letter?" Nick said still a bit stunned.

"Read it, Nick." Ed said.

"Be sure to read it outloud." Darwin said.

Nick quickly opened up the enveloped and started to read the letter outloud. It writes:

 _Dear Nicholas Wilde,_

 _We have heard quite a few things about you. According to the letters some of your friends sent, you are a unique young man. They have also said that you have dealt with your share of hardships. Some of the reasons being the case because you're a fox. Yet even with that, you found your own way overcome those hardships. We at the Main Branch are quite impressed by you. But what suprised us most is not the fact you are still young or the fact that you are a fox. What really suprised us was using your strong passion and determination to form your own pack called the Zoo-Burrow Scouts. A pack where two different towns, boy or girl, prey or predator, can join no matter who they are on the outside. Cause we of the Ranger Scouts value who people are on the inside and not the outside. And from what we've read, you are defientely good both inside and outside. You're an excellent leader, have helped your community, and you not only let others see the good in you, but help them see the good in themselves. So, with all of this, it is with great honor that we give this inside this letter._

Nick stopped reading for a moment to go back to dig back into his envelop. He then pull at as small patch. It was oval-shaped and had a fleur-de-lis symbol in the center. Nick then went back to reading the letter.

 _The Junior Ranger Scouts patch of Pride and Valor. Few are lucky to even recieve this pact at your age. So please wear in on your uniform with Pride and Valor. Keep doing what you are doing and keep up the excellent world. We'll be in touch real soon. Cause as of now, the Zoo-Burrow Scouts Pack 1 are_ _ **officially**_ _part of the Junior Ranger Scouts._

 _Sincerely,_

 _The President of the Ranger Scouts, Sanford B. Ursidae._

That was the end of the letter. All of Nick's scout friends, except Chuck and the others, were beyond belief with what Nick read to them. But they all shouted out "O... M... GOODNESS!" They all then gathered around Nick.

"Our baby has actually been honored by the head of the Ranger Scout?!" Frankie asked still stunned by it.

"Another great day to be a parent." John said joyfully.

"Is this real? Is this really real?" Cole asked.

"It's **very** real." Chuck said with a smile.

"He's right." Conner said looking at the letter Nick was still holding. "The Ranger Scouts official seal is on it AND the president's signature."

"Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh!" Benji went overly excited. "So, we're officially part of the Junior Ranger Scouts now, right?"

"AND Nick's been given one of their greatest honor." Mervin said happily.

"Nick, can you believe this?" Judy asked smiling happily. "How do you feel about this?"

Nick didn't respond. In fact, he didn't do anything. He just froze looking at the letter. His tale did wagged a bit.

"Nick?" Judy asked started to looking concern for her friend. "Niiiiiick?" He still was frozen.

"He's not responding." Finnick stated.

"Oh no. Did we _broke_ Nick?" Chuck said looking worried.

"No. This exact thing happen when he got to try our mom's blueberry pie for the first time." Judy stated recalling that this isn't the first time Nick froze like this.

"Come on, Nicky. Say something." Ronnie said.

After 5 or so seconds, Nick finally spoke.

"This is real." Nick said still in shock and awe.

"Yeah it is, Nick." Phillip said.

"This is real and it's signed by the president of the Ranger Scouts." Nick said still in shock and awe.

"Yeah. We told you th..." Wilfred said.

"This is real and it's signed by the president of the Ranger Scouts and I'm holding it in my paws." Nick said once again, still in shock and awe.

"Uhhhh... Nick?" Ed said sounding concern for Nick. "You okay, dude?"

"I have so many emotions right now. So... many... emotions..." Nick said with his left eye twitching.

"Are they good emotions?" Chuck asked.

"Good? No. They're not good." Nick said. He then started to have a really big smile on his face. "They're AWESOME!" Nick then started jump up and down. "I mean, The Patch of Valor and Pride?! I wish I knew how to do a backflip. I just do some cartwheels. Everyone, make way."

Nick put his paper crown down and started to do a few cartwheels around the room while shouted out "THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!" really loudly. Clearly, the little fox was overjoyed as everyone could tell.

"Nick's happy. Nick's **very** happy." Judy said with a smile.

"I think that's City's Boy best reaction yet." Gideon said happy for Nick.

"*sigh* Looks like you five gave Nick the best gift." Finnick said with arms crossed.

"Not like a yo-yo wasn't easy to beat." Mervin said with a smirk.

"The good one sold out." Finnick said firmly.

Nick then came back to reality and walked back to the others.

"Chuck, Phil, Ed, Darwin, Wilfred, thank you!" Nick said to the five boys. "This... this is unbelieve. I can't believe you were actually able to get this for me."

"We owned you, Nick. It was the least we could do." Chuck said.

"All the same, thanks. I mean it." Nick said with a smile.

Things really were different between Nick and the former scouts now. It was like they really were friends with them now. To get something like this was their way of asking for forgiveness after muzzling Nick. Nick already forgiven them, but this added up to that.

Moments later, the party continued. Xand, Mikey, and Paul performed a cover an instrumental cover of Green Hay's (like Green Day) _When I Come Around_. Nick was drinking some punch with Darson.

"Darson, when I was opening present, you didn't offer me opening up your present." Nick said to the coyote.

"Cause I didn't get you one." Darson said as he sips his drink.

"What?" Nick said not sounding happy.

"Dude, I already gave you your gift. The dreamcatcher." Darson said. "I did say think of it as a _early birthday present_. The fact that your birthday was so close was only coincidental."

"Mm hmm." Nick went looking suspicious. "Fine. I guess you get a pass."

As Nick and Darson drank more of their punch, Chuck, Phillip, Wilfred, Darwin, and Ed came by. The five had looks like they wanted to get something out of their chest.

"Hey, you two." Wilfred said.

"Oh. Hey guys." Nick said with a smile.

"Darson, can you leave us to talk with Nick?" Chuck asked.

"Sure." Darson said nodding.

Darson then walks off to leave the six of them to talk.

"Guys, I still can't thank you enough for the letter." Nick said to them still happy about it.

"Glad you still like it... but..." Chuck said as he started to sound a bit sad. "... there's something else we wanted to give you."

Chuck then handed Nick another envelop. It was a white one this time.

"Another envelop? What is an medal of honor in this one?" Nick asked joking around a bit.

"This one's... a bit more of a serious thing." Phillip said sounding serious.

With the tone Phillip used, it must be serious. With a concern look on his face, Nick put down his drink and took the envelop and look at the front of it to see who the sender was.

"It's from the Zootopia Court of Law." Nick said.

The Zootopia Court of Law? Why did the boys gave him a letter from the Zootopia Court of Law? Why do they even have a letter from the Zootopia Court of Law? Nick quickly opened the envelop and started reading the letter. As he finished reading the letter, looked at the five boys with a stunned look on his face. Nick then grabbed Chuck's arm.

"Can we talk somewhere else?" Nick asked them as he leads them out of the party room.

The six boys then headed to the hallway outside of the room to talk. Most likely, what Nick read in the letter.

"Is this a joke?" Nick asked as he takes of his crown. "Please tell me this is a joke." Nick sounded pretty serious to the five boys.

"It's no joke, Nick. It's real." Chuck told him.

"Am I even reading this right?" Nick asked still sounding serious.

"Read it outloud. We'll tell you if it's right or not." Phillip said.

Nick did that. He read the letter outloud. It reads:

 _Nicholas P. Wilde_

 _Since you are one of the victims, we are writing this letter to inform you that Charles Woodson, Phillip Zecker, Darwin Deerling, Wilfred Maus, and Edward Beestli have pleaded guilty of accounts of assault, discrimination, and muzzling young predators. It is because of these actions, the five will be sentence to 3 months in the Zootopia Juvenile Detention Center at May 31 of this year. These accounts our very serious and it's very irregular for children to commit such a high level crime. However, they cannot go unpunished. This decision has been finalized. We at the Zootopia Court of Law are sorry that you had to deal with something like this. But we hope that letter gives you some well-needed justice._

That was the end of the letter and with Nick with one thing to ask.

"You've turned yourselves in?!" Nick shouted out.

"*sigh* Yeah..." Chuck admitted.

This was some really shocking news for Nick to read. Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed had turned themselves in and are being sent to the Zootopia Juvenile Detention Center soon.

"W... W... Why? Why did you do this to yourselves?" Nick asked still shocked by the news.

"To make up for everything we done." Wilfred told Nick.

"By doing this?!" Nick asked while holding the letter.

"Nick, we muzzled predators and used the Junior Ranger Scouts as a front to do it. We didn't even care what the kids we muzzled thought." Chuck stated. He then started rubbing his right arm.

"You already know that these acts are serious crimes. We can't just go off unpunished anymore. We just can't." Ed stated.

"So that's why you were acting so weird the other day. How come I'm just finding out about this now?! Do the others know?" Nick asked.

"Only Ben, Mervin, Ronnie, and Aurdan. Oh... and Darson too when we talked to him about it." Phillip said.

"And they didn't tell me?!" Nick shouted out not too happy.

"Your birthday was near. We didn't want to ruin your mode." Chuck said.

"Well, way to ruin it ON my birthday." Nick said looking mad. He then had he paw on his face. "Okay, what about a court case? Would have my family I at least been called to that?"

"The court case was set on Saturday and finished on Sunday. It was pretty much close-and shut." Darwin stated.

"We told the the judge everything. The who, what, where, when, and why. Where we got the muzzle, who we used them on, the methods, even some of the time and dates." Wilfred said.

"Mervin, Ronnie, and Ben were called to the case but we pleaded them to not call you." Chuck said.

"But why?" Nick asked.

"Nick, we've known you for a long while now. Even after what we did, if you were in the court, you would just try to make thing easier on our side." Chuck said.

"And why wouldn't you want that?" Nick asked.

"Because we don't deserve the easy way." Chuck said firmly. "Besides, we were lucky to get things easy enough."

"We were lucky to only get 3 months. If things were different or we were older, we could have gotten 3 to 5 **years**." Phillip said. "But the judge felt pitty for us."

"Even if he did say ' _Out of all the cases I've done, this, by far, has got to be the most despicable thing I have ever heard children commit_.'" Chuck added.

"Even so, it could have been worst." Ed said.

"COULD have been worst? Do you have ANY idea what you did to yourselves?!" Nick asked sounding serious.

"We're aware." Chuck said.

"No. I don't think you are." Nick said firmly. "It's ONLY gonna get worst for you all. Do you know what will happen to you once you go to juvie and what I told you before. Maybe I'll remind you. You will have a **criminal record**. Everything gonna be even harder for you after that. You may not be able to go to our school anymore or any school for that matter. Everyone will judge you even more now. It will be hard for you to get a job growing up. Everything that you will try to do will be closer to impossible to achieve. Do you really want that?"

"I guess... we'll have to deal with that." Wilfred simply said.

For some reason, Nick really felt affected by this. The fox was cringing his fist tightly.

"Grrrrr! Do you really I want this for you?" Nick asked firmly "Do you remember when I erased the recording from Judy's carrot pen and said it was because you were dirty enough? It wasn't just because of that. It's because I don't want to live with the guilt. Even with the pain and torment I've dealt with, I wouldn't wish that on anyone else. No matter what they did to me."

"We know, Nick. That's just the kind of person you are." Chuck stated.

"There's gotta be something I can do." Nick said frantically as he looks at the letter for a loophole.

"Nick, it's already been finalized." Phillip said.

Nick gritted his teeth, throw the letter down to the ground and shouted out "I'M NOT GOTTA LET YOU GUYS RUIN YOUR LIVES!". The shouted echoed through the hallway.

Nick must be really taking this serious to shout that out.

"Nick,... we already ruined our lives." Chuck said with a sad look on his face.

Nick's eye widen as he heard Chuck said that.

"We've ruined our lives the moment the thought muzzling predator kids was a good thing." Chuck said. "We can't just keep living everyday like nothing happened. Nothing's gone away for us. Other kids still don't trust us, grownups are still giving us ugly stares, and... I can't keep having the anxiety attacks."

"About that, how long have you been having those?" Nick asked.

"The first one was a few days after what you said to us, the third was when Mervin said what he said to us. That time with Darson... that would be the 7th." Chuck added.

"7 times?!" Nick said shocked about that. He had no idea that Chuck has had a total of 7 anxiety attacks. It was surprising enough to know he had more than 1.

"The guilt **literally** hurts me too much and won't go away." Chuck stated.

"The same can be said for us." Ed said.

"But... if we atone for what we've done, some of that guilt, even only a little bit of it, could finally go away." Phillip said with a light smile.

"We already know that this won't be easy, but like you told the rest of us, the best things aren't easy." Darwin said.

"We know that our choice has upset you Nick, but this is **our** choice." Wilfred said. "We just want you to understand why we have do this."

"You do understand, don't ya Nick?" Chuck asked.

Nick cringed both of his fists tightly and his body shook quite a bit. Nick didn't want Chuck and the others to actually go to juvie. But... deep down, he knew that the five of them were doing the right thing. He couldn't be against that. Nick then picked up the letter again.

"The letter says that you're going in May 31. That's the day after school is over." Nick said.

"Some Summer Camp, huh?" Chuck said trying to make a joke.

"We were suppose to be planning a beach trip this summer. Everyone of us would go to the beach, enjoy the sand, sea, and sun, and have fun. It was gonna be the best day ever." Nick said to them.

"Guess you are all gonna have fun without us." Chuck said shrugging.

"*sigh* I'm not okay with this." Nick said honestly. "But... I understand why you are doing all this. So, I can't be angry about that."

"We knew that would would understand, Nick." Chuck said as he walked closer to Nick. "We made a lot of mistakes Nick. But the biggest mistake..." Chuck then put his right paw on Nick's left shoulder. "... was not letting you join our pack from the very beginning."

Chuck and the other boys really do regret muzzling Nick and not letting him join their pack the first time. As Chuck let go of Nick's shoulder, Nick said one more thing to them.

"You're not them." Nick said.

"What?" The 5 boy said looking confused.

"You're not the same guys who muzzled me that day. As far as I know, I still hated those guys and they don't exist anymore." Nick stated. "They wouldn't turned themselves in. But you guys, you're different." Nick then started to smile. "You're... my friends."

For Nick to say those words, it made Chuck, Phillip, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed feel an warm and happy feeling in their chests.

"Nick, it means a lot to us do hear you say that." Chuck said with a smile. "Thank you."

"No problem." Nick said starting to get in a better mode.

"Alright. As fun as your party is, I think the five of us should get going." Chuck said.

"You're leaving already?" Nick asked looking a bit surprised.

"Yeah. We alreadly killed the party mode enough." Phillip stated.

"Come on. At least stay for cake." Nick insisted.

"Maybe next time." Darwin said.

As much as the 5 felt that they should go, Nick's not the type of person to take no for an answer. So... he played the 'mom' card.

"You know... if you leave before cake, it will make my mom **very** upset." Nick said with a sly grin. He then leaned toward Chuck's face. "You don't want to upset her, do you?"

After their last talk with her, the 5 boys still had a huge, huge, HUGE fear of Nick's mom, Francine. The last thing they would EVER want to do is make her upset.

"Guys, let's stay for cake." Chuck said frantically.

"I was already craving cake anyway." Phillip said also a bit frantic.

"Yum yum." Darwin said trying not to sounded worried.

"Cake is good." Ed said frantically.

"Please tell your mom we've been good." Wilfred said looking worried.

"Heh. I thought you would change your mind." Nick said with his usual sly grin.

"You always have to get your way, don'tcha Nick?" Chuck asked giving Nick a look.

"Pretty much." Nick said slyly.

The boys then all did some hearty laughter. It was a good sign that they were truly friend now. Not fake friends, but true friends. The six then decided to go back to the party. Everyone was still having a good time. But as the six came back into the room, a few boys were waiting for them. It was Benji, Mervin, Aurdan, Ronnie, and Darson.

"Guys..." Nick said surprised, but not that surprised to see them.

"We'll leave you guys to talk." Chuck said.

Chuck and the others left to get back to the party while Nick talked to the boys.

"I'm guessing that you had quite the talk with those guy." Benji said to Nick knowing what they talked about.

"I can't believe that they're going to Juvie by the end of the school year." Nick said still in a bit of disbelief. "You know you could have told me."

"Sorry, Nick." Ronnie said feeling bad for not telling us. "But they told us not to. With your birthday and all."

"How do you feel, buddy?" Mervin asked.

"Honestly, I have mixed feelings." Nick said starting to feel down again.

Darson walked up to Nick.

"Nick, they'redoing the right thing." Darson said. "They're doing this to right their wrongs and it's the only way they can do that. You may feel sad, but you should also feel proud. They changed because you helped them change."

"Well yeah... but..." Nick said still sounding sad.

But then, out of nowhere, Judy hopped on Nick's back and to force the fox to smile.

"No fox should be sad on his birthday." Judy said as her fingers to stretch Nick's mouth out to force him.

"Hey! Carrots, quit it." Nick muttered while Judy still had her fingers on his mouth.

Judy then let go of Nick's mouth and got off of his back.

"You were sad and I wanted you to feel better." Judy said to Nick.

Nick decided to tell Judy the truth.

"Judy, Chuck, Phillip, and the others are going to juvie." Nick said said to her.

"I know. The others told me." Judy said to Nick as she started to look sad. "But they're doing what they need to do. They'll come out better people after that. You should feel proud."

"So I've been told." Nick said with his arms crossed.

"We feel bad for them too, but this is _their_ choice." Audran said. "We just need to hope they're be okay after it's all over."

"I guess." Nick said still looking sad.

"Come on, Nick. Be happy." Judy said wanting Nick to cheer up. "Remember, it's your birthday. Give us that famous 'Nick Wilde' smile."

As sad as Nick was, Judy was right. It was he birthday and he should be happy. He then started to have his usual smile on his face.

"There it is." Judy said happily.

"Well like you said, no fox should be sad on his birthday." Nick said to Judy with a smile.

"By the way, where's your crown?" Judy asked noticing that it wasn't on Nick's head.

"OH! CRUD!" Nick shouted out at he touched the top of his head remembering that he took it off when he was talking to the boys. "Your king will be right back."

Nick then went back to get his crown as Judy and the boys laughed a bit.

A few minutes later, it was almost time for everyone to have cake. Mr. Big's polar bear bodyguards had to go it first. As everyone gather around the big and long table, Nick's friends, Judy, a few of her siblings, Gideon, Finnick, Benji, Mervin, Flash, Kyle, Bobby, Sharla, Gareth, Ronnie, Audran, Falisha, and a few others joined around Nick.

"Before we get to the cake, we have a little birthday ditty we like to sing to the birthday boy here." Judy said.

"A ditty for our son?" John asked.

"Awww! How sweet." Frankie said liking the idea of Nick's friends singing.

"This wasn't my idea." Finnick said firmly.

"Nick, go easy on us. We literally only had like 5 minutes to practice." Mervin stated.

"Alright, straighten up." Greg said to everyone.

Everyone grouped up like they were in a chorus line. Greg blow on a little whistle and the kids started to clap together in a jolly rhymtic matter. The group then started to sing.

 _Ohhhhhhhhhhh..._

 _Happy Birthday Nicky,_

 _Today's your special day._

 _For all the time we've know you,_

 _We got many things to say._

 _You're loyal, bold, and honest..._

 _You're helpful, brave, and true..._

 _Everybody in this world,_

 _Should have a friend like you._

 _Out of all the foxes in the world,_

 _Nicky is the best._

 _He helps us out through thick-n-thin,_

 _And does it without rest._

 _A smart and awesome leader,_

 _To our great little pack._

 _Whatever thing will happen_

 _You know we got your back._

The group then stopped clapping. They also started singing slower.

 _Ohhhhhhhhhhh..._

 _When it comes to Nick, we have many things to tell..._

 _The greatest pal in world, so great we have to yell..._

 _Oh Nick, we all just you to know that we all think you're swellllllll..._

The group then started and clapping again and singing fast again.

 _Soooooo... Happy Birthday Nicky... and many more as well._

 _Happy Birthday Nicky... and many more as well._

 _Happy Birthday Nickyyyyyyy..._

 _And many more as well. HEY!._

After the end of the song everyone else clapped. They thought that the little song was cute.

"Wow." Nick responded. "That song was... really something."

With that answer, some of the kids thought Nick didn't like the song.

"I told you we should have added the rap verse." Eric stated. "Okay, from the top."

"No no! That's fine." Nick said waving his paws. "I love the song. Thanks, you guys."

"You're welcome, Nick." Judy said with a big smile.

Since the song was over, it was finally time for cake. Mr. Big's bodyguards brought over a massive sized white buttercream-frosted sheet cake. Massive was actually the understand for the cake. The cake was at least 20ft wide. The cake reads 'Happy 10th Birthday, Nicholas' in blue icing. The kids were all dumbfounded by the site of the cake.

"Woooooooooaaahhhh!" The kids went in awe.

"This has got to be the biggest cake I have ever seen in my life." Nick stated. "Mom, Pop, how did you get a cake this big?"

"A little something from Mr. Big." John said to Nick.

"We told him it was your birthday and even if he couldn't be here, he was more than happy to pay for a cake big enough for everyone here." Frankie stated happily.

"Awesome!" Nick said happily. He then looked up at Mr. Big's bodyguards. "Tell Mr. Big I say 'Thank you.'."

The polar bears didn't say anything. They just simply nodded while still looking serious. They still scared most of the kids. Like Judy's brothers and sisters... and Finnick.

"These guys must always be like this." Finnick thought.

One of the polar bears then put candles of a 1 and a 0 on the cake side where Nick was. He then lit the candles.

"Okay Nicky, time to make a wish and blow out the candle." John said.

"Aww yeah. I've been waiting to do this." Nick said as he rubbed his paws together. He then stood up to the candles and was about to blow the candles out. But then he stopped for a moment. He had to make a wish. Except for one problem...

"Uhhh... Nick, you're suppose to make a wish and blow out the candles. That how it works." Judy said to Nick.

"I know. I know. It's just that... for the first time ever, I don't really don't know what to wish for." Nick said honestly. "I already have everything I've ever wanted. So how do I know what to wish for."

Nick had a point. He really did have everything he ever wanted and more. A bunch of friends, his family being sucessful, a bunch of gifts. What more could he ask for?

"Well Nick, you better think of something." Finnick said to Nick.

Nick pondered for a bit on what he wanted to wish for. He looked around the room at all his family and friends to try and get an idea. He then stop and looked at Judy. It seems like everything good think to happen to him was because of her. So after that, he knew just what to wish for and blow out the candles. Everyone clapped after that.

"Alright." John said happily. "Time to cut the cake." John then got out a really long knife out to cut the cake with. Like a knife that was closer to a sword when a fox holds it.

"Woah! Johnny, that might be a bit dangerous for you to hold alone." Frankie stated as she holds her husband's arm. "Perhaps we should cut it together."

John and Frankie then held the knife together and started to cut a corner piece of the cake.

"Hmm. Cutting cake like this reminds me of our wedding day." John said feeling nostalgic.

"Me too, sweetheart." Frankie said also feeling nostalgic.

"Eeeeeeew!" All the kids went feeling grossed out.

"Mom! Pop! Not in front of all my friends." Nick said feeling embarassed.

Afterwords, everyone had their cake and ate it too. Along with some blueberry ice cream to go with it. Nick was enjoying his cake and ice cream while stand beside Finnick.

"Blueberry Carrot Cake. Who would have guess this would be so good?" Finnick said as he has another forkful.

"Right? Glad we all can get such a big slice of it." Nick said liking the cake too.

"So... I bet you are feeling like you are on sitting on top of the world." Finnick said to Nick with a smirk.

"Do I feeling like the happiest fox in the world? Yes, yes I do." Nick said with a big grin. "I honestly wasn't expect such a great party."

"You got Bunny Girl to thank for all of this." Finnick said. "She pretty much planned this whole thing since Sunday."

"Hmmm. Sunday, huh?" Nick said with a look on his face that said 'Is that so?'. "Finn, how would Judy plan everything since Sunday if she never knew about her school being closed for a week until Monday?"

Before Finn could have another bite of cake, he frozed from Nick's question.

"Oh... uhhh..." Finnick said trying to come up with something.

"Don't even bother." Nick said to Finnick. "You know how clever I am. I'll be sure to have a little talk with the not-so-cleaver bunny later."

"Kinda figured you would." Finnick said not surprised.

As good as friends Nick and Finnick were, Finnick wanted too know how something ever since he first met Nick.

"Nick, I got to know. What is the deal with you and Bunny Girl?" Finnick asked.

"This again? I told you and the others a hundred times. Judy and I are just friends." Nick stated.

"But is that how you want things to always be?" Finnick asked. "Come on, I saw how you stared at her before you made your wish."

"..." Nick was silent but started to blush a bit.

"Come on. Talk to me, man." Finnick said.

"I told you. There's nothing to talk about." Nick said firmly.

"Alright then. Then you just listen to what I have to say and tell me if it's really nothing." Finnick said boldly. Finnick pointed at Judy with his fork. "Look at Judy. If I could describe her, she's someone filled with joy and light. It like anyone who's near her gets filled with happiness in their life. You just happen to be one of them. She kept you away from a dark path and thank for that."

Finnick was right. Just being friends with Judy has made Nick's life better and kept him from making bad choices.

"It's good that she filled with light... but... she's also very frail. She doesn't truly know how cruel the world can truly be. She may think the world is all cherry soda and lollipops, but we both know that's not the case. If she goes out in the world thinking, this city will eat her alive." Finnick then pointed at Nick. "Then there's you, Nick. You've lived in the city your whole life. You understand the good and the bad in this world. You were in the darkness for a while, so when Judy took you out of it, you made it a your personal goal to protect her. That's why you are always there to save her when she needs it."

Nick still didn't say anything, but he was understand what Finnick was talking about.

"Face it Nick, Judy is your light and you are her dark. She needs you... and you know her. You need each other." Finnick stated. "You know what I'm saying is true. So, can you **honestly** say that you don't have feeling for Judy?"

Nick couldn't hold it in anymore. Not after everything Finnick just said. Nick can feel the so many feelings in his chest. It was too much to keep to himself. He had to tell someone else about this. So, why not Finnick?

"Guess... there's no point in hiding it." Nick said. "*sigh* Alright. I like Judy, okay?"

"Ha! I knew it." Finnick said with a cocky smile.

"Actually... 'like' is a bit of an understatement." Nick said as he taps his fork on his cake. "I feel... that it so much more than that. I... I..." Nick started to shiver a bit. It seems like the next words he was about to say was hard for him. But then he said the words. "... I think I'm in love with her."

He said the words. _THE words._ He actually told someone that he was in love with Judy. After Finnick heard Nick said that, he nearly chokes while eating his cake.

"*koff* *koff*" Finnick coughed after Nick's reveal. Finnick's choking was starting to get a few of the party guests attention. Nick had to do something to take the attention away from them.

"Silly Finnick! You're supposed to chew before you shallow." Nick said aloud trying to sound like it supposes to be a joke.

Finnick started to regain his composure. "Yeah... silly me." Finnick said aloud.

Since Finnick seem fine, everyone else when back to doing what they were doing. While Finnick pulled Nick a bit further from everyone else.

"Are you serious?" Finnick asked stunned from what Nick said. "Are you sure that you lo... lo... lo..." Finnick couldn't even bring himself to utter the word, love. "... that you 'L' Judy?"

"I'm pretty sure." Nick honestly said. "I mean, what do you call it when you think about someone all the time? What do you call it when you feel that warm and bubbly when the person is near you all the time? What do you call it when 1 or 2 days isn't enough days of seeing them?"

What Nick said, is what some people call love.

"When you say all that, I guess there is no doubt that you 'L' Bunny Girl." Finnick said.

"So... what do I do?" Nick asked needing some advice.

"You're asking the wrong girl." Finnick said not know what to say. "All I know is this. Some point, you should tell her how you feel. You just need to know when."

"*sigh* I guess sooner or later I will have to say something to Carrots." Nick said. "Well, in a few weeks, there's a dance at school. Maybe if I can get Carrots to join me, I'll tell her then."

"Can you really do it?" Finnick asked.

"I'm a trier. I have to try." Nick said.

"Well good luck to you, Slick." Finnick said.

Nick and Finnick went back to eating their cake and ice cream.

"See? Does it feel good to finally talk to someone about this?" Finnick asked.

"Actually, I talked to Gideon about something similar to this." Nick said as he had a bit of his ice cream.

"What?" Finnick said not liking that fact. "You talked to Gid about this before talking to me?"

"Finn, I knew Gid before I knew you. Get over it." Nick said firmly to Finnick.

"Hmpt! Never!" Finnick said as he chomps away at he cake. Guess Finnick can be the jealous type sometimes.

After some time, it was finally time to end Nick's party. Everyone began making their way home. They order shuttle buses to help take the residents of Bunnyburrow back home. People have already started getting on the bus after saying goodbye to Nick, hugging him, bumping fists with him, and patted him on the back. Judy was with Nick in the hallway. Judy had something behind the back.

"Sooooo... was this the Best Birthday Ever?" Judy asked.

"Better." Nick said happily. "Thank you for throwing it for me, Carrots?"

"It was no problem." Judy said as she twisted her right foot. "I was only lucky that school was canceled."

"Yeah... about that..." Nick said before leaning down at Judy and giving her a sly grin. "How dumb do you think I am?"

"Wh... what?" Judy said trying to sound confused.

"Come on. School being canceled the week on my birthday. _Flesh-Eating Fleas_? Really?" Nick said raising an eyebrow. "That would be more believable if I didn't watch a classic horror movie call 'Flesh-Eating Fleas Invade Our School.'.

"I knew I should have let someone else come up with the excuse." Judy said looking mad at herself.

"So... you got everyone from Bunnyburrow to skip school for me." Nick said.

"It... wasn't that hard." Judy said blushing a bit. "First off, it's really only for today. But I did start the planning since Sunday. I talked to your parents about my plans for the party. They and everyone else from here were more than happy to help. As for school, we were all able to get permission, luckily..."

"So, all this planning... for me?" Nick asked.

"I'd do anything for you, Nick." Judy said with a smile.

Of course, Nick blushed hearing Judy say that. Another sign that Nick really did like Judy a lot.

"Oh. That's right. I haven't given you your gift, haven't I?" Judy asked. "Here." She then gave her gift to Nick. It looked like a green photo album. The title had cartoon stickers of a fox and a rabbit on it. They looked a bit like Nick and Judy.

"What's this?" Nick asked.

"It's a photo album." Judy said. "Open it up."

Nick did so and saw the album had many photos of him with Judy. From the first time that Judy visited Zootopia, to the times that they formed the Zoo-Burrow Scouts, all the visits in Bunnyburrow, the time they checked out the Alina's Mansion, the fishing trip, nearly every good time they had since they met.

"This... has almost everything." Nick said.

"Yeah. Took forever to get all those pictures together. You can thank Cammy for most of those." Judy stated. "There also plenty of empty pages so you can add more pictures."

Nick flipped around the album and notice that Judy right. Even with all the photos already in it, there was enough room for a few hundred or so.

"I know it's not as awesome as video games, go-kart passes, a bike, or a letter from the head of The Ranger Scouts, but..."

"Carrots, stop." Nick said halting Judy's words and closing the album. "Stop thinking I won't love your gifts when I really do love them. Cause I do. I do love it." Nick said with smile. "... and I love..." Was Nick already about to tell Judy that he loved her? "... the awesome party you help throw." Guess not.

"You're welcome, Nick." Judy said with a big smile.

"Alright. Doesn't the Birthday Boy deserves a birthday hug?" Nick asked opening his arms.

"Ooookay. But only cause it's your birthday." Judy said.

Judy then went over to Nick and put her arms around Nick. Nick did the same for Judy while still holding on to the photo album. As the two hugged, it went on for quite a while.

"Carrots, we are gonna have to let go sooner or later." Nick said to her.

"I should be telling you that." Judy said with a smirk.

"Pretty sure you're the big hugger here." Nick said smirking as well.

"You were the one who wanted a hug." Judy stated.

"Alright. I'm gonna let go now. You do the same." Nick said.

The two then finally let go of each other.

"Alright. I got to get going or else the buses will leave me." Judy stated.

"Alright. Goodbye, Judy." Nick said with a smile.

Judy turned around as she was able to leave. To Nick, it felt like she was moving in slow motion. Something stirred inside Nick. Something he needed to say to her.

"Judy, wait!" Nick shouted out, halting the bunny.

"Huh? What is it?" Judy asked.

"This is it, Nick. Don't blow it." Nick thought. He then mustered what courage he had left. "Judy, there's... a dance coming up at my school soon."

"A dance?" Judy said while tilting her head.

"Yes. A dance." Nick said nodding. "On that day, I want you... I want you to..." Nick started looking bashful. "... go to the dance... with me."

Judy's ears drooped down and she started to blush a bit.

"Nick, pardon for saying this, but... the way you ask me that... it sounds like... it sounds like you are asking me to be your _date_." Judy stated.

What Nick and Judy didn't know was that behind them, from a hearing distance, was Benji and Finnick who just happen to hear the words _'... asking me to be your date_ '. After hearing that, they both froze.

"If you want to think of it that way... yes. Yes, I am." Nick said standing strong.

Knowing Benji would scream after Nick said yes, Finnick immediately climbed up the cheetah and covered his mouth so that Nick and Judy wouldn't notice them.

"So Judy, want to be my date to the dance?" Nick asked sincerely.

Right now, it felt like a thousand things were going throw Judy's mind. How should she answer Nick? What should she say to Nick? After looking at Nick's smile, one word came to mind.

"Yes."

 **Well, that just happened. It feels that Judy and Nick's feelings are now at their admitted he likes Judy to someone and plans to say his feelings to Judy soon. So... will he be able to do it? Will the two kits find a way to be together? Only one way to find out. On the next chapter... when 'While We're Young' is to be concluded.**


	39. Chapter 37: Young

**Well readers, this is it. After over a year and a half of this AU, it finally time to put it to a close. It's a real shame to let this story go. But you all know the old saying.** _ **"All good things must come to an end."**_ **and this story is no different. This is really it, guys. The last chapter of "While We're Young"... of the Kids Arc.**

 **Ahahahahaha! What?! Did you guys REALLY thought I would end the story now? Oh no. There's totally a sequel story coming up. This may be the last chapter of the Kids Arc... but the Teenagers Arc will be the next story. Judging by the stack of comments I got within the first day, you guys really took the "To be concluded" part really serious. So why didn't I mention about a sequel until now. Cause I'm EVIL! Naw. I ain't evil. Just wanted to see how you would all react. It actually makes me happy everyone wants me to keep going. Anyway, don't worry guys. The story isn't truly over just yet.**

 **Now let's talk about Chapter 37. If you remember in the previous chapter, Nick admitted that he had feelings for Judy to Finnick. With that in mind, he decided to ask Judy to be his date for the school dance. Judy said yes to being Nick's date. Now it seems that the two's feelings for each other have skyrocketed. But the question is... will the two of them finally share their feelings for each other? Let's find out. So without further adieu, let's begin the final chapter.**

* * *

Yes. The one word that Judy said after Nick asked her to be his date for his school dance. That one simple answer could change the entire relationship of the two of them.

On a dance floor, surrounded by a spotlight were Nick and Judy, slowly dancing paw and paw together. Judy was wearing a shiny blue dress with a blue flower over her left ear. Nick was wearing a fancy black suit with a red tie. The two smiled as they looked at each other dancing in a circle.

"Nick, I'm glad you as me to be here." Judy said to Nick.

"I'm glad you agreed to be my date." Nick said to Judy as he spinned her around once.

"Heehee! You're actually pretty light on your feet, Slick." Judy said amazed by Nick's dancing.

"Well, they don't call me _Slick_ for nothing." Nick said proudly.

As the two continued to dance Nick leaned closer to Judy's face.

"What... are you doing?" Judy asked wondering why Nick is leaning in so close.

"Something that I should have done a long time ago." Nick answered.

As Nick closed his eyes, it looked like... it looked like Nick wanted to _kiss_ Judy. But Judy, she didn't tried to avoid it. She just closed her eyes and slowly leaned closer to Nick's face. As the two are only inches away from making contact. When all of the something...

"AHHHHHHH!"

That was the scream of a little grey bunny that got up from her bed. It was Judy... and her screaming woke up a few of her siblings in the room.

"Ugh... nightmare again, Judy?" One of Judy's awoken sisters went.

"Uhhhh... yeah. Nightmare..." Judy replied awkwardly.

"Ugggggggghhhhhhh..." All the other awoken siblings went.

"Sorry..." Judy said to her siblings.

Everyone in the room tried to get back sleep. The dancing between Nick and Judy was just a dream. A dream that Judy has had more than once. Even since Judy said yes to being Nick's date for the School Dance, Judy's feelings for Nick have gone up quite a bit.

"I bet Nick isn't dreams like the ones I've been having." Judy thought.

Judy would be wrong.

"WAAAAAHHHHH!"

That was the scream of a little red fox that got up from his bed. It was Nick. He just happen to have a VERY similar dream to the one Judy's been having. Nick looks around his room and sees that it's still night.

"I'm dreaming... again..." Nick thought.

Nick then turned to the dreamcatcher that he hung by his bed.

"You only catch **bad** dreams, right?" Nick asked the dreamcatcher, even if he knew he wasn't gonna get a response. "*sigh* Guess those dreams don't count as bad ones."

Nick has beeng having the same dream for the last couple of night. Surprisingly, the dream is nearly the same as Judy's. The two dancing together, almost kissing, and the dream ending before that happen. Nick already admitted to Finnick that he really liked Judy. But it seems that it was growing more and more since asking Judy to be his date.

Both Nick and Judy have had a very strong relationship as friends. Even since they first met they became really close friends. The two have instantly gain each others trust. They connected, they helped one another and their families, made new friends, face conflicts, resolved problems, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. When the two were together, they were nearly inseparable. But... they both always thought if there was so much more than just that.

Judy didn't want to talk about this to any of her brothers or sisters about the dance just yet. Cause if she did, the news would spread like wildfire around the burrow. But Judy really needed to talk to someone about this. So she called her best girl friend to talk about this. Sharla. Judy took Sharla to her room to talk and made sure no one else was in the room or outside the hallway.

"Nick, WHAT?!" Sharla shouted out.

"He asked to come to the Spring Dance at his school... as his date." Judy said blushing a bit.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Sharla squealed overly excited as she jumps up and down. "Do you know what that means, Judy? That Nick really **likes** you."

"Keep it down!" Judy said wanting Sharla to be quietier. "Any louder and the whole house will hear you."

"Sorry." Sharla said quieter.

"Look, I'll admit it caught me off guard that Nick ask me to be his... date." Judy admitted blushing a bit. "But... that doesn't mean that he... 'likes' me."

"Are... you... kidding me?!" Sharla asked explicitly. "It's obvious to anyone and EVERYONE that he likes you."

"You and others keep saying that like it's true." Judy said blushing madly and rubbing her left ear.

"Come on, Jude." Sharla said firmly. "Quick acting like you don't feel the same way. " Sharla then walked a little closer to Judy. "Can you honestly say that you don't have strong feelings for Nick?"

It was true that Nick really liked Judy. But did Judy felt the same way for Nick? As Judy was quite for a few seconds, she finally gave her answer.

"Maybe just a little bit." Judy said.

"A little bit?" Sharla asked raising her eyebrow.

"Okay! Okay! A lot! I like Nick a lot. Happy?" Judy admitted.

So Judy really did like Nick. Apparently as much as he does. Sharla is the first person that Judy has ever told about this.

"I knew it." Sharla said with a smirk.

"I don't know how it happen. There's just... something about Nick. He's cool, brave, sincere, smart, really sweet,... and fluffy." Judy said while the image of Nick's smile is on her mind.

"Finally, you tell one of us about your feelings for Nick." Sharla said with her hoof on Judy's shoulders. "Now let's go tell everybody."

Sharla then dashed for the door.

"No!" Judy shouted out. She then quickly tackled her down to the ground.

"Ow! Hey!" Sharla said as Judy held her down to the ground.

"You have to solemnly swear not to tell **anyone**." Judy said firmly.

"But..." Sharla said.

" **Solemnly swear**!" Judy said while gritting her teeth.

"Hmpt! Fine..." Sharla said not looking too happy.

After solemnly swearing, Judy and Sharla got back up from the ground and up on their feet.

"For mine the the others sake, you and Nick better get together by the time this is over." Sharla said with her hoof on her forehead.

"Please..."Judy said. "Saying Nick and I should get together is... is like saying you Gideon should get together."

"What?!" Sharla said a bit stunned. "M... me and Gideon? Ha! You're crazy."

"I know, right?" Judy said before laughing a bit.

"Although..." Sharla said as she started to think about it. "... Gideon did use to pick on me a lot. And you know what they say about boys picking on girls."

"That's... true. But I don't know if..." Judy said. Then, a memory came into her head. "Wait a minute..."

Judy started recalled one of their Zoo-Burrow Scouts meanings. It was what Nick said once.

" _HEY EVERYONE, DO YOU ALL WANNA KNOW A SECRET ABOUT GIDEON? GIDEON LIKES..."_

"Maybe it wasn't baking that Nick was going to say." Judy thought. "Maybe... Oh my god! Does Nick know something? Cause that would make a lot of sense."

Nick already knew that Gideon liked Sharla. He was the only person that knew about Gideon crushing on Sharla. But now it seems like Judy was starting to figure it out.

"Sharla, has Gideon be acting differently around you?" Judy asked.

"No. Not after he stopped being a bully." Sharla stated."Although..." Sharla started to think about things. "... Gideon does always as asks me how my day is everytime I see her. Some days he even bakes me cookies. There's also days when it's just the two of us hanging out. Giddy's been very sweet lately. I know we all used to think he was a big jerk, but it turns out he's actually really..." Sharla then stopped talking and freezes a bit. Same for Judy.

"Oh my gosh! **DOES** Gideon like you?" Judy asked.

"I... I think he does." Sharla said after thinking about it.

"Wait a sec. Do **YOU** like Gideon?" Judy asked Sharla. Sharla didn't respond, but she did start to blush a bit and Judy noticed. "Oh my god! You do!"

"N... NO, I DON'T!" Sharla said blushing madly.

Judy then started to smirk. It finally seems like things were on the other foot. Judy could finally get back at Sharla for all the teasing.

"Oh ho! Now I see why you all like teasing me and Nick." Judy said with a smirk.

"W... Wipe that smirk off your face!" Sharla shouted out. "I haven't say I 'liked' him nor do we know if Gideon 'likes' me."

"Fair enough." Judy said.

"But this isn't about Gideon and I. This is about you and Nick." Sharla stated as he blushing went away. "If you guys like each other, one of you needs to bring it up so you can talk about it."

"Still... I don't know." Judy said looking unsure.

"Come on. You're Judy Hopps. The bravest bunny anyone could ever know." Sharla stated. "If there is one thing you can do, it's talking to Nick about your feelings."

"I... suppose you're right." Judy admitted. "If there's really something between Nick and me, I should at least see it through."

"Good." Sharla said. She then heads for the room door. "Alright. If that's all, I'm gonna get going."

"Where are you off to?" Judy asked Sharla.

"Oh... umm... home." Sharla said nervously.

"Is that right?" Judy said not sure that was the case. "Cause it sounds like you were gonna go to Gideon's house to talk about **your** feelings."

"Whaaaaaaaaat? Noooo. Don't be crazy." Sharla said sounding even more nervous. By the tone of her voice, that's exactly what Sharla was about to do.

"Okay." Judy said.

As Sharla opens the door and was about to leave, Judy couldn't help but have a wide grin on her face for the next thing she was about to do.

"SHARLA'S GOT A BOYFRIEND! SHARLA'S GOT A BOYFRIEND!" Judy shouted out. Sharla looked mad as Judy chanted that. "Now you know how it feels." She said with a grin.

Sharla then made her way out. As she did, Judy looked at the bracelet she made herself that matches with Nick's bracelet. She couldn't help but think about Nick ever more now.

"Nick... how do you really feel about me?" Judy thought as she touches the blueberry charm.

As time passed, the kids still do their usual things. Including school. At Pawside Elementary, there were posters everywhere about the Dance coming up. During lunchtime at the cafeteria, Nick had just got his tray of food. As he did, his friends, Audran and Ronnie came from behind.

"Oh. Hey Audran and Ron..." Nick said greeting his friends. They didn't say anything. They just lifted him up from the ground while he was holding his tray. "Woah! Hey!"

Audran and Ronnie carried Nick to their table with Benji, Mervin, Flash, Falisha, and Darson. They put Nick down on one of the free seats and then sat down themselves.

"You know, it has occurred to me that you two pick up and carry people a lot." Nick stated to Audran and Ronnie.

Nick's friends all gave him serious looks.

"What's... with those looks?" Nick asked his friends.

"Is it true that you asked Judy to the Spring Fling... as your date?!" Mervin asked.

"WHAT?!" Nick said caught off-guard. He didn't tell anyone about that. "How did you know..." Nick then started thinking Finnick had something to do with this. "Finnick! Some promise keeper..."

"Finnick didn't tell us." Falisha stated. "Benji did."

"Benji?!" Nick said surprised. He then looked at Benji. "Ben, how did you know? Finnick didn't told you, did he?"

"Technically, no." Benji stated as he twiddled his paws. "See, after your party, Finnick and I wanted to get some more cake before leaving. But then as we were about to leave, we saw you with Judy asking her to be your date to the dance. Finnick then covered my mouth knowing that I would scream."

"That sounds about right." Nick admitted with a straight-face.

"After we heard Judy say yes, we quietly walked back so your wouldn't notice us." Benji said. "After that, Finnick told me everything."

"What did he tell you?" Nick asked looking very serious.

"Ju... just that you were planning to ask Judy to come to the dance. That's all." Benji said looking a bit frightened.

Seems like Finnick didn't tell Benji **all** the things that Nick told him. It was good to know that Finnick kept part of his promise.

"So... it's all true?" Ronnie asked.

Nick knew there was no point in hiding the truth now that they all know. "*sigh* Yes." Nick said.

"O... M... GOODNESS!" Everyone except Benji went since this info wasn't new to him.

"That's what I said." Benji stated.

"Okay, fine. So I asked Carrots to come with me to the dance. No big deal." Nick said as he stirred his food around with his fork.

"No big deal?" Darson said not believing Nick. "Nick, you asked her to be your **date**. Do you want to know what that tells us? That you don't just want her to be your girl friend with a space in the middle. You want her to be your **actual** girlfriend. No space included."

"Co... come on!" Nick said blushing a bit. "I would have asked her to the Spring Fling anyway. Date or not."

"Nicky, why do you keep hiding your feelings?" Audran asked. "We knew for the longest time that you wanted to be Judy's boyfriend."

"I don't like titles." Nick said still blushing madly.

"Except the title of being Judy's boyfriend." Benji muttered.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE JUDY'S BOYFRIEND!" Nick shouted out.

"Me... thinks... you... pretend... too... much." Flash stated with a smirk.

"Nick, we all have known you and Judy for a long time. We get that you like each other." Ronnie said.

"Yeah. So quit hiding it and tell us everything." Falisha said.

"You want me to tell you everything?" Nick asked.

"Yes!" Nick's friends all said.

"Do you **really** want me to tell you everything?" Nick asked with more emphasis.

"Yes!" Nick's friends all said again.

"Cause I'll tell you right now..."

"JUST TELL US!" Nick's friends shouted out having enough of Nick's beating around the bush.

"Fine!" Nick said firmly.

So after going so long not telling them anything, Nick was about to tell his friends everything.

"When I first met Carrots, she called me nice. A bunny calling a fox nice? I barely get that kind of comment from other species. I missed her during the full month I wasn't with her and it was only luck that I met her again. We got to know each other more and felt a good connection." Nick said to his friends.

Nick continued to say more...

"... then I told her that she was the most amazing person I have ever met. Bunny or not. She also said ties suit me. But then again, I am a tailor's son. But that's not the point. The point is..."

... and more...

"... after we stood up to Chuck and those other guys, we agreed to be partners when we make it to the ZPD. The first fox cop and bunny cop working together. Can you imagine that? Then after I make it back to my house, you want to know what she did? She kissed me on the cheeks."

... and more...

"Even after I caused **total** anarchy at her home by going behind her back, she still considers me trustworthy and would anything for me. Honestly, the feel the same way. Why do you think I can always count on her? Well, not only that..."

... and even more...

"... when she stayed over for the night, I didn't want her to sleep on the floor. So I thought we should' share my bed. It... wasn't as awkward as we thought. But we 'may' have cuddled at one point."

... and more.

"... and then she just had to give me the birthday that I have always wanted and never got. It was literally the best birthday I have ever had. For someone to do all of that, just for me, how could I **not** fall for her? I've tried to hide my feeling but I can't." Nick then sighed before saying the last thing he needed to. "Okay, that's everything."

As Nick finished saying what he needed to, he waited for everyone else response. Except there wasn't one. Everyone just stared at Nick with jaws dropped. Clearly, they were all in shock with what Nick had just told him.

"Guys?" Nick said still waiting to hear a response. "Guys? Say something."

"Wow..." Flash said breaking the silence. "Just... wow..."

"What he said." Darson said looking pretty stunned.

"When you say you were gonna tell us everything..." Ronnie said.

"... you meant EVERYTHING." Falisha stated.

"Wha... what was tha... that part about a... a kiss?" Benji stuttered.

"Judy kissed me on the cheek. It was before we form the ZB scouts." Nick admitted.

"WHAT?!" Everyone else shouted out.

"There was a _kiss_ involved before you even became friends with us?!" Audran asked.

"Not a _kiss_. Just a kiss." Nick said firmly but still blushing a bit. "It was just to make me feel better."

"Was it a peck or longer?" Mervin asked.

"*sigh* Two seconds." Nick admitted.

"Ohhhhhhhhh..." The others went.

"Dude, anything longer than a peck means more than 'Just to make you feel better.'." Ronnie stated.

"So I've been told." Nick thought to recall what Gideon said to him.

"Okay, so after you telling us **everything** , it's clear that you really like Judy." Falisha stated.

"Ya think?" Nick said sarcastically. "And actually, I did skip one thing."

"What's that? It better not be a bombshell." Darson said.

"I don't think I just 'like' Judy. I think I'm in love with her." Nick said to his friends.

The others knew that Nick _liked_ Judy. But for him to say that he thinks that he _loved_ her, that completely caught everyone off-guard. Benji reacted by covering his mouth before screaming. Darson got out of his seat.

"Too much for me." Darson said about to leave.

"Nope!" Falisha said as she grabs Darson's arm, halting him from leaving. "You're part of the group now. That means you have to stay."

"Nick just spoiled the beans in front of all of us AND said he 'L' Judy." Darson stated. "That's more than most of us can even handle."

"It was a lot for one day, eh?" Audran said as he rubs that back of his head.

"Hey! You all asked for it." Nick stated as he pointed at everyone again.

Benji finally stopped screaming in his paws.

"Okay. I think I got it all out of my system." Benji said after that long scream. "Nick, now that you tell us all this, there's no reason you shouldn't tell Judy about all of this."

"Look. You're right. I've even planned to tell her how I feel during the dance." Nick said.

"But..." Benji said guessing there was a but.

"But... I don't know if I should." Nick said.

"Come on, Nick. Like we told you before, it's obvious that you two like each other." Benji stated. "Why can't you two just say you like each other?"

Nick drank his milk before answering Ben's question. "If you have to ask, I think you know why." Nick said sounding a bit serious.

Everyone was a bit stunned to hear Nick say that. They were a bit confused with what Nick meant. But then they started to think about his and Judy's relationship. As good and different as they are... they are still _different_.

"Wait? Are you letting something as your _differences_ stop you?" Benji asked.

"Nick, I'm surprised at you." Falisha said. "When have you let something like differences stop you?"

"Hey. Our _differences_ don't bother me and I don't care how others think about me. But do you honestly think I want others to think about Judy in some weird way?"

No one could really say anything about Nick's words.

"I'm done eating." Nick said as he gets out of his seat. "I'll be at the playground."

Nick then left his friends as he headed for the playground. They all had concern looks for Nick, worried that he wouldn't tell his Judy about his feelings. As Nick exits the cafeteria, he looks at his bracelet from Judy.

"Carrots..." Nick said as he touches the carrot charm of his bracelet.

Days pass as the Spring Fling gets closer and closer. John, being the tailor he is, was already in the process of making his son the perfect suit for the occasion. It would be done before the day of the dance.

Currently, at the Wilde's home, they had finished eating dinner.

"Great dinner, mom." Nick said his mom with a smile.

"Thanks, sweetie." Mom said as she picks up the dishes ready to wash them. She then went into the kitchen to wash them.

"So Nick, the dance is coming soon. If my memory is right, you asked Judy to join you." John said.

"Yeah. I did. I thought it would be fun to have her there." Nick said.

"I see. Well, don't worry. I plan to make you the best suit for that night." John said proudly.

"You know you don't have made me a new suit, pop. I still have plenty of your other suits that still fit me." Nick stated.

"Nonsense. I WANT to do this. Besides, this suit will be the best one yet. Perfect for that big night." John said.

"It's... just a dance, pop." Nick said as he looked away from his dad and started to blush a bit.

"Oh no. I believe it's much more than that." John said.

Frankie then came back to the table. It seems that she happens to hear the conversation.

"It's very obvious to your father and I how much Judy means to you." Frankie stated.

"Wha... what?" Nick said looking shocked.

See, John and Frankie have already know that their son has strong feelings for Judy. Nick has always tried to keep it a secret from them. But it seems like it was pointless now. Yet, he still wanted to try and hide that.

"I... I don't know what you're..." Nick said. stammering a bit.

"Nick, stop." Frankie said halting. "Remember what I told you. Even when you think a mother knows, a mother knows."

"A father too." John added. "We see how you act when you're with Judy. I know you have feelings for her because it's the same way I am when I'm with your mother."

"We see how each day you fall more and more in love with that little bunny. Judy's a good girl and she makes you happy." Frankie stated.

"As long as your happy, we're happy." John said with a smile. "So, I'll ask. Do you **really** not have feelings for Judy?"

Nick knew it was pointless to hide it from them. Finnick knew the truth. His friends knew the truth. His mom and dad have known the truth for the longest time now. At that point, Nick knew there was no point in hiding it anymore.

"Are you disappointed?" Nick asked as he rubbed his shoulders and looked a bit sad.

"Now son, why would we be disappointed?" John asked.

"Because... Judy's an..." Nick said.

"A what? A really nice girl that would do anything for her best friends?" John asked.

"A sweet girl with a heart gold that saw the good in our baby boy?" Frankie asked.

"You know what I mean." Nick said firmly. He then took a deep breath before speaking again. "Judy... is a rabbit... and I'm a fox."

The biggest difference between Nick and Judy was the fact that they were different species. A fox and rabbit.

"We're not just different species. We're on different sides. Prey and Predator. No matter what, that will always be the case. I will **always** be a fox and Judy will **always** a be a rabbit. That fact will never change." Nick stated. "And yet..." Nick let go of his arm. "... I can't hide how I feel about her." Nick then looked at his parents with a sincere look on his face. "Is something wrong with me? Am I some kind of a freak fox for like a bunny so much?"

Nick had a good point. Interspecies couples aren't very common. Even in a city like Zootopia. Many of the mammals only dated other mammals depending on if they were the same species. So a fox falling for a bunny wasn't exactly smiled upon. Yet Nick's parents didn't think he was a freak. They walked up to him and each places their paws on their heads.

"Nick, do you really that liking someone who's a different species of you makes you a freak?" Frankie asked. "Love comes in many forms. It doesn't only apply to species. You are just one of the rare cases."

"Even if your mother was a different species than me, I would still fall for her." John stated.

"And I've have dated others that were different species before." Frankie stated.

"Wait, what?" John said as he looks at his wife, surprised to hear that.

"Not that time, Johnny." Frankie said firmly to her husband. She then looked back at Nick. "The point is... it's okay for you to like Judy. It was fate that bought you two together the first place."

"Fate..." Nick said softly

"Yes, fate." John said. "We really don't think it was just chance that you met Judy on the same day we went to Bunnyburrow for the first time. You and Judy were destined to meet the time you did. Just like your mother and I."

"It doesn't matter to us that Judy is a rabbit and you are a fox. Being with Judy makes you happy." Frankie said with a smile.

"As long as you're happy, We're happy." John said with a big smile as he puts his hand on Nick's shoulders.

Nick felt a weight that he had on his shoulders was finally left him. His parents were okay with him liking Judy. Not that his parents weren't already okay with it.

"Mom... Pop... thanks." Nick said with a smile. "I'm still not sure how I should do things, but it's nice to finally talk to you about this."

"No problem, son." John said with a big smile. He then looked at his wife with a serious look on his face. "Now, about these other men you dated."

John can be a jealous man when it came to his wife.

"Let it go, Johnny." Frankie simply said.

"No. I will not." John said firmly. "What? Were they more handsome than me?"

"No, Johnny." Frankie said just to please her husband.

"Did they impressed you with their ' _muscles_ ' or money?" John asked firmly.

"No, Johnny." Frankie said again.

"Well did they..." John said as he started to have a sly grin on his face. He then wrapped his arms around Frankie. "... wrapped their arms around your body like this?"

"No, Johnny." Frankie said as she started to smile a bit.

"Did they rocked with you side by side as they sang to you like this?" John asked as he rocked with his wife. He then started to sing a swing song.

 _Baby,_

 _I like your moves._

 _Baby,_

 _We got a groove._

 _I don't know how,_

 _But I think it's true._

 _Baby, I'm might be falling_

 _for you._

Frankie then kissed John on his right cheek and said: "Johnny, there is **no one** that has done any of that with me but you."

"Just wanted to make sure." John said happily before kissing Frankie back on her right cheek three times. "See son, if you can be happy like your mother and me, then that's all that mat..."

As John looked back at his son's direction, he and Frankie realized that their child's nowhere to be found.

"Nick? Niiiiick?" John said as he looks around.

"Sweetie, where did you go?" Frankie asked as she looked around as well.

"I LEFT THE SECOND YOU TWO GOT MUSHY!" Nick shouted out from the hall. "PARENTS CAN BE SOOOO GROSS!"

"BETTER GET USED TO IT! THIS MIGHT BE YOU WHEN YOU'RE OUR AGE!" John shouted out.

"NOT LIKELY!" Nick shouted out before a door slam could be heard.

"Good talk?" Frankie said to John.

"Good talk." John said to Frankie as well.

After that display of affection, Nick needed to just be in his room for a while.

"Ugh... I really can't stand it when my parents get all mushy-gushy in love." Nick thought still grossed out. "But... if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here."

Nick then laid down on his bed as he looked up at the ceiling.

"Just a few more days..." Nick said to himself. "A few more days till the dance."

Meanwhile back in Bunnyburrow, Judy was also getting ready for the dance. One of Judy's sisters, Krissy, a 13-year-old golden brown furred colored bunny with green eyes and a sky blue sleeveless shirt and a white skirt, was making Judy's dress for the dance. The dress was light blue and was on a headless mannequin and still a work-in-progress.

"Okay. This dress is almost done, Judy. I should be able to finish it by tomorrow." Krissy said to Judy. "It's gonna be perfect."

"Good. Because perfect is what I want to go for." Judy said as she watches her sister sew up the dress.

"Don't worry. When this is done, all eyes will be on you."Krissy said confidently.

"Just make sure every detail is right. I want it to fit tightly, but not too tight. Long enough to go down to my feet, but not too long to have it drag down to the ground. I also want it to shine when it hits the lights." Judy stated as she paced. "Oh... and a blue flower to put near my ear. Left ear."

"That's... pretty on the nose. Sounds like you really want to look good for Nick." Krissy said with a smirk.

"That may or may not be the whole case." Judy said blushing a bit.

Then... there was a knock on the door.

"Juuuuudy? Your brothers and sisters said you would be in here." It was Stu.

"Can we come in? We want to talk." The second voice was Bonnie.

"It's mom and dad." Judy said to Krissy.

"Cover the dress." Krissy said to Judy. "No one else can see it yet **until** it's finished."

Judy nodded and then put a white cover over the mannequin and the dress. Once that was done, Judy gave her parents the okay.

"Come in." Judy said loudly.

Stu and Bonnie then opened the door and stepped inside the room.

"Hey... Judy and Krissy..." Bonnie said.

"Krissy, do you mind if we talk to ol' Jude the Dude for a moment?" Stu asked.

"Sure." Krissy said. She then leaned down to whisper something to Judy. "Saw that coming."

Krissy then left the room and close the door behind her. Now it was only Judy, Stu, and Bonnie in the room.

"What's up?" Judy said to her parents.

"So... you must be ready for that dance that Nick invited you to." Bonnie said.

"Yes, mom. You and dad said I can go, right? Cause if not, then I'm just gonna make a fuss until you change your mind." Judy stated as she crossed her arms.

"No no. We didn't chance our minds. It's fine that you want to go." Bonnie said.

"We... just wanted to talk to you about something." Stu said starting to look a bit nervous.

"About what?" Judy asked.

Now like Nick's parents, Judy's parents could tell that there was something between Judy and Nick. The two have always shared a closeness. Stu and Bonnie were okay with it as time went by. However, Stu and Bonnie were still traditional bunnies and didn't really do things outside the bunny ways.

"You know... Nicholas and you are... different, right?" Bonnie asked.

"I know, mom." Judy replied. "He's a fox. I'm a rabbit. We're as different as night and day."

"True. But I don't just mean that. You two are not just different, but also _different_." Bonnie said awkwardly. "Not just by fur and tail... but..."

Stu then stopped Bonnie from saying anything else since it seemed like she couldn't get the right words out.

"Bonnie, I think we should just cut out the middle man and say what we need to say." Stu said to his wife before turning to Judy. "Judy, your mother and I need to know. Do you... have feelings for Nick?"

No doubt, Judy was caught off guard from these words. But Judy still answered them. "I don't know." Judy answered. "But I would be lying if I said there wasn't anything."

"*sigh* I thought as much." Stu said as he takes off his cap and scratches the back of his head.

"Are... you just gonna tell me I **shouldn't** like Nick because he's a fox? Even after everything he's done for me?" Judy asked.

"Maybe the 'old' Stu and Bonnie would." Bonnie admitted. Judy's ears then drooped and she had her head down. "But it's a good thing that the 'new' Stu and Bonnie wouldn't."

"Huh?" Judy said as she held her head back up.

Stu and Bonnie then walked closer to their daughter.

"We've been wrong about a lot of things, Judith." Stu admitted to Judy. "Before we met the Wildes, we always thought it was best to take the easy way and not have to put effort into whatever you do. We also wanted you kids to do the same."

"But a parent's job is not to tell their kids how they should live their lives. Their job is to let their children decide what goals they want in life and support them when they need it." Bonnie said as she puts her arm on Judy's shoulder.

"So even if Nick and you are _different_ , that difference shouldn't matter. If something tells you that you want to be with Nick in the future... then... be with Nick." Stu said.

"Really?" Judy said with her ears up.

"The two of us need to start having open minds. It would be very close minded if we kept thinking differently." Bonnie stated with a smile.

"Mom... Daddy..." Judy said as she was started to feel a bit emotional. She then hugged her parents. Her parents hugged her. "Thank you. I'm still unsure about things, but I'm glad you support me."

"It's no problem at all, Judy." Stu said with a sincern smile.

"We love you, Bun Bun." Bonnie said to Judy.

"Love you too, mom and dad." Judy said happily.

The bunnies then all let go of each other.

"Alright. That's all we wanted to talk to you about." Stu said. "Your mother and I will leave now."

"Okay." Judy said with a smile.

As Stu and Bonnie started walking away, Judy noticed that her dad was wobbling as he took each and every step.

"Dad, are you okay?" Judy asked looking concern.

"I'm... fine..." Stu said sounding a bit sick. "Sorry. Sometimes 'old' Stu tends to pop up every now and then."

"Uh huhhhhhh..." Judy said with smirk.

As Bonnie helped Stu leave the room, Judy couldn't help but giggle a bit. It was funny how much her parents have changed after becoming friends with the Wildes. But Judy was thankful for it. Cause now, they are more opened to the world.

After many days passed, it was finally the day. The night of the Pawside Elementary Spring Fling. The sun was still out, but beginning to set. At the Wildes house, John and Frankie were waiting for their son to come downstairs.

"Nicky, hurry up!" Frankie shouted out. "You don't want to keep Judy waiting."

"Yeah. We want to see how the suit looks on you." John said.

"Coming. Just a second." Nick said.

Nick then started coming down the stairs. He was in a nice black suede suit wearing a red tie. As it was his dad's work, the suit fit him perfectly. If anything else, this was similar to the suit in his dreams. Seeing their son look so handsome in his suit, pretty much made John and Frankie feel overwhelmed with 'parent emotions'.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh... my baby..." Frankie said starting to cry tears of joy.

"When did our baby boy became a young man?" John said also crying a bit.

"Mom, Pop, you promised not to get so emotional." Nick said with a straight face as he walks down the last stair.

"Sorry..." John and Frankie said wiping the tears from their eyes.

Nick then started fixing his necktie. "Am I wearing this right? I mean, did I fix my tie up properly?"

"Let me see." John said. He then got down one knee and looked at Nick's tie. "Looks perfect, son. You really are a Wilde."

"Thanks, Pops." Nick said with a big smile. "Let's get going to the dance. I told Judy that I would meet her there."

"Well then, as a proper gentlefox, you shouldn't keep her waiting." John said getting back up from his feet.

So John and Frankie started up the car and drove Nick to the school dance. Nick waited outside of the entrance for his date to arrive. It was only like three minutes, yet Nick was getting nervous if Judy wouldn't show.

"Where is she?" Nick thought looking nervous. "Okay, calm down. Carrots wouldn't ditch you and she said she was gonna be here. So... just be patient."

As Nick said that, the Hopps truck showed up and pulled up near the sidewalk.

"She's here." Nick thought excited. "But it is weird. The supposely girl of my dream arrives in a farmer's pick up truck."

As Stu and Bonnie came out of the truck, the little bunny, Judy, was the last to come out, wearing the finished dress from her sister. It was just like that dress Judy dreamt she was wearing. A sparkling blue dress with a blue flower over her ear. Seeing Judy in this dress made Nick's heart skip a beat.

"Oh my gosh. The supposely girl of my dream arrived in a farmer's pick up truck." Nick thought again but blushing a bit.

Judy then spots Nick and walks to him with a smile on her face.

"Hey, Nick." Judy said greeting the fox.

"Hey... Carr... Judy." Nick said. He decided to call her by her name instead of Carrots. "Wow Judy,... you look..."

"Nick, I know we had an agreement." Judy said firmly. "But I still prefer if you don't call me..."

"... beautiful." Nick uttered.

"Wha... what?" Judy said surprised.

"Beautiful. That's what I wanted to say." Nick said looking a bit bashful. "You look... beautiful."

"Oh." Judy said blushing a bit. But she looked happy to hear that. "Well... thank you. You look... really handsome in that suit."

"Th... thanks." Nick said smiling awkwardly.

As the two gazed at each other, they happen to hear the snapping of cameras. Apparently, both Frankie and Bonnie wanted to take some pictures.

"Smile, you two." Bonnie said happily as she has her camera out.

"Come on. Let's get some pictures before you go in." Frankie said also holding a camera.

Nick and Judy decided to let their parents take a few pictures. Nick and Judy stood side-by-side for some pictues and then they got close together for some others. After 10 or so clicks, the kids thought their moms took enough pictures.

"Are you done? We have to go inside now." Judy stated.

"Sorry." Bonnie said as she stops taking pictures.

"Yeah. You kids... go on... ahead." Stu said starting to get emotional.

Nick and Judy then went back to facing each other.

"Well..." Nick said looking bashful.

"Well..." Judy said also looking bashful.

"Soooooo..." Nick went.

"Soooooo..." Judy went.

"Shall we?" Nick said as he had his arm out with a smile.

"We shall." Judy said grabbing on to Nick's arm smiling back.

The two then made their way to the entrance and stepped inside. As they did, the parents adored the cute sight.

"Awwwwwwww!" John and Frankie went as they held each other.

"*sniff* *sniff* He better treat her right." Stu said getting emotional again.

So as Nick and Judy go into the School's Gym, they see that the Dance had already started for a while. Balloons, streamers, some posters, a colt DJ playing some pop music, all the kits in suits and dresses either talking or dancing, everything you would expect in a Dance.

"Wow!" Judy said looking amazed.

"We only missed a few minutes of the Spring Fling. So there's plently of party time." Nick stated to Judy. "So, let's have some fun."

"Let's." Judy said happily agreeing with Nick.

Nick and Judy walk together, they happen to spot their friends. Benji, Mervin, Ronnie, Audran, and Falisha, all by the side of the dance floor dressing formal. Benji happily waved at them.

"Over here." Benji said.

"Hey! There's the others." Judy stated.

Nick and Judy then walked over to the others.

"Looking good, boys." Nick said to his guy friends.

"Looking good, Nicky." Benji, Mervin, Ronnie, and Audran said responding back.

Benji was in a sky blue suit on with a blue bowtie on. Mervin rocked a brown suit with a black and white checkered tie. Audran wore a white suit with a red tie. Lastly, Ronnie had on a black suit with a black bowtie.

"Judy, that's a nice dress you have on." Falisha said liking the dress Judy wore.

"Thanks. One of my sisters made it for me." Judy stated. "Your dress looks nice too."

"Thanks." Falisha said. Falisha had on a long white dress on with back stripes on the side Similar to her own stripes. "But honestly, I think it too much with the stripes. I mean, it just screams 'Tiger!'."

"You are a tiger." Judy stated.

"Well yeah, but I don't want to strut it all the time." Falisha said firmly.

"Haha!" Nick chuckled. "As funny as this is, I'm gonna go get us some punch, Judy."

"Okay." Judy said with a smile to Nick.

Nick walked to the punch table as Judy stayed with the others. Since the others already knew about Nick's plans with Judy, they didn't told her about his feelings. But... it was almost impossible for Benji to keep a secret. He was already getting all giddy and Judy could notice.

"What's up with Benji?" Judy asked.

"Nothing." Mervin, Audran, Ronnie, and Falisha.

"Ben, keep it together." Ronnie whispered to Benji.

"I'm trying." Benji whispered back.

Meanwhile, Nick was getting punch from the punch bowl for him and Judy. He picked up two cups and started pouring punch into them. As he did, a fennec fox in a black suit and black tie greeted him.

"Hey Nick." The fennec fox said.

"Hey Finnick." Nick said before taking a sip of his punch. The second he did, he spitted it on in shock. The fennec was Finnick. Finnick was here. "Finnick?! What the heck are you doing here?"

"Enjoying the Spring Fling." Finnick answered.

"Dude, you don't go to our school." Nick stated.

"Last time I checked, neither does Bunny Girl." Finniick said. " Just think of me as a plus 1... or a crasher that could be someone's plus 1."

"I... suppose that's fine." Nick said. Nick then refilled his cup with more punch.

"So, have you told Judy yet?" Finnick asked.

"Of course not. We just got here." Nick stated firmly.

"Alright. Just checking." Finnick said shrugging.

"Uh huh..." Nick said feeling that something was differently up. But he didn't care enough think about it much. He just left to go back to Judy.

After only taking a few steps, he made it back to Judy and company and handed Judy her cup of punch.

"Here you go, Carrots." Nick said.

"Thank you." Judy said taking one of the cups and taking a sip.

"Hey, are you guys aware that Finnick's here?" Nick asked everyone else.

"Uhhhh..." Benji uttered.

"Kinda..." Mervin said.

"Yeah..." Ronnie admitted.

"What? Is the gang from Bunnyburrow here too?" Nick asked.

"As much as a few of them **wanted** to come, they are all still at Bunnyburrow." Judy stated.

"Gazelle actually did came." Benji said.

"Gazelle's here?" Nick and Judy said sounding surprised.

"I invited her." Benji stated. He then pointed at where she was on the dance floor.

Gazelle was wearing a sparkling red dress dancing a bit. She then stopped as she spotted Nick and Judy and waved at them. Nick and Judy lightly waved back before turning to the others.

"Anyone else here?" Nick asked.

"Chuck, Phil, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed didn't come on the count of things with them. They wanted to avoid being in hot water." Mervin stated.

"Darson's suppose to be here if he hasn't come yet." Ronnie said.

"Flash too, but... uhhhh..." Audran said.

"It's Flash." Everyone else said knowing that the sloth was still a sloth. And sloths are slow.

"Eh." Audran said before scratching the back of his head.

"Well, here's to Flashy making it at least before the end of the Dance." Nick said raising his punch cup and then drinking the rest of his punch.

The music then changed to a catchy rock song.

"Oh! This is my jam." Judy said excited. She then grabbed Nick's paw. "Come on, Slick. Let's hit the dance floor."

"O... okay." Nick said as Judy dragged him.

As Nick and Judy hit the dance floor, Finnick walked over to the other kids.

"Our bet still on?" Finnick asked Benji, Ronnie, Audran, and Mervin.

"Ohhhhh yeah." The boys said smirking.

"$2 says Nick and Judy by tonight Nick and Judy becoming a couple and be together forever." Benji said.

"$2 says they become a couple, but keep it on the regular." Mervin said.

"$2 says that Nick might wuss out." Ronnie said.

"$2 says Judy is the one to make the move first." Audran said.

"2 bucks says the Nicky plants one on Judy on the lips before the end of the night." Finnick said.

"Are you boys really betting whether or not our friends gets together?" Falisha asked looking disgusted.

"You bet." The boys all said.

"Wanna join in?" Finnick asked Falisha with a sly grin.

"Not even." Falisha said looking away.

So the night continued on. For the time Nick, Judy, and many other kids enjoyed dancing to the music playing. Judy had some pretty good dance moves. Nick had problems trying to keep up. Guess Nick wasn't much of a dancer. That didn't mean Judy didn't help him out. After a while, Nick was able to go more with the flow when it came to dancing. After a hour or so, the two kits decided to take a little break. Judy took this time to a know some of the other students at the school. She even found someone she already knew. A coyote wearing a little brown suit and black tie. It was Darson.

"Darson! You actually came." Judy said looking happy to see him.

"Judy Hopps. Always a pleasure." Darson said trying to be polite.

"The nice guy side of you is still weird to me." Judy stated still not use to it.

"You and me both, sister." Darson said agreeing with Judy. "So... I heard that you just happen to be Nicky's date."

"Think of it as you will..." Judy said as she turns away from Darson trying to hide her blushing face.

"Are you two still on your 'will they/won't they' thing? You know, you two make it more complicated then you need to." Darson stated to the little bunny.

"What is it with **everyone** thinking that?" Judy asked looking a bit peeved.

"What is it with you two hiding it? You know there is something there. Anyone who's anyone can see it." Darson stated.

"..." Judy was silent.

"I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but... will you take a look at those two girl foxes over there?" Darson said pointing at two young vixens. Judy looked at the direction too.

The two young vixens were around their age. One was an arctic fox, the other was a red fox like Nick. It looked like they both had their eyes one Nick.

"I see, that Nick is quite the catch." The red fox girl said.

"Yeah. Smart, popular, and really cute. I hope he's single by the time we get into middle school." The arctic fox said happily.

Judy was close enough to hear them and it was enough to stir a fire inside of Judy.

"Grrrrrrrrrrr..." Judy growled.

"Sounds like the little bunny might be jealous." Darson stated after hearing Judy's growling.

"Jealous?! I'm not... I mean..." Judy said stumbling on her words.

"Judy Hopps, I only gonna say this once. Nick's a great guy. We both know this. But that also means other people are gonna notice too." Darson stated. "Don't miss your chance."

Judy knew that Darson was right. To Judy, Nick is one of the greatest people that she has ever known. She values her more than anyone else. Even more than most of her family. Not only that, she has always wondered if something is truly there. And yet...

Meanwhile, as Nick was greeting a few of his other schoolmates, he noticed that someone has finally showed up. In a dark brown shirt with a red and black striped tie was Flash. Nick then walked over to him.

"Flash, buddy!" Nick said happily to his sloth friend. "You made it... near the mid-end of the dance..." Flash was pretty late.

"Hello... Nick. Great... Dance..., huh?" Flash asked.

"Uh huh. Been a lot of fun." Nick said.

"So... is... Judy... here?" Flash asked.

"Yup." Nick answered.

"Did... you... tell... her... yet?" Flash asked.

"Course not." Nick said firmly. "The night's still young. I don't need to tell her right away."

Flash gave Nick a slow but fiery glare.

"What?" Nick asked Flash why he's giving him a grin.

"Nick,... can... I... say... something?" Flash asked.

"O... kay..." Nick said knowing that what Flash was going to say a lot.

"Now... I... know... that... I'm... not... the... fastest... people,..." Flash stated.

"Flash, that's doesn't..." Nick said.

"... BUT,... I do... know... one... thing. Life's... like... a race. If... you... move... too... slow, you... lose." Flash stated. "Don't settle for second to last place when you can be first."

Nick listened to Flash's words and realized he had a point. Nick didn't want to hide his feelings from Judy anymore. I mean, he's already said his feelings to everyone else. Judy was just next on the list.

"Your right, Flash." Nick said agreeing with the sloth. "I won't just tell her right off the back, but I will tell her soon." Nick then patted Flash on the back. "Thanks, bud."

Nick was then gonna get back with Judy. But then he paused when he realized something. The last things Flash said... they were at normal speed. Not _sloth_ normal, but ' _normal'_ normal.

"WAIT? Flash... did you just... on that last part..." Nick said still freaking out a bit.

"What... do... you... mean?" Flash said talking slow again.

"Uhhhh... nevermind." Nick said thinking he was just imagining things.

Nick then dashed off again. As he did, Flash just smile widely.

A couple of minutes later, Nick and Judy were together again after talking to others. Both felt that their feelings were hitting their peak. After hitting the snack table, they went back to hitting the dance floor.

"Looks like your moves are getting better, Slick." Judy said while dancing.

"You should know I pick up on things easy, Carrots." Nick said with a grin as break dances a bit.

At the moment, the music changed to a slow jazz number.

"Alright everybody! I hope you had a good night. Cause now we are getting to the end of the dance." The DJ said from the mic. "For this last song, we're gonna play a slooooooow jam. For those who have a special someone, dance with them."

It felt like both Nick and Judy's fur stood straight as the DJ said that. It was like destiny was putting them together once again.

"Slow dance, huh?" Nick said looking a bit frighten. "So, I guess we are suppose to dance _together_."

"We... we don't have to." Judy said blushing and looking down on the floor.

As Nick looked at Judy, he realized he wasn't the only one a bit scared.

"You're right. We don't have to." Nick said. But then, he held both of Judy's paws and looked at Judy's amethyst eyes. "But I want to."

Judy smiled at Nick as the two begin to do a basic waltz as the music plays. As they circle around the dance floor with other waltzers, their friends watched them. Most of them, like Benji and Gazelle, felt overjoyed as they see the two dancing together. When Nick and Judy dance close together, it was starting to feel like their dreams. It was as if they were the only two in the world.

"You know Nick, I just realize something. You've gotten taller." Judy stated.

"You're just realizing that? Of course I've grown a bit since we first met. It's only natural." Nick stated. "You've... grown a bit too. Not by much, but still..."

"Haha..." Judy laughed sarcastically. "I know Mr. Foxes-Are-Naturally-Bigger-Than-Rabbits."

"Haha. Don't take it too hard." Nick said. "We're both not exactly 'giraffe' so to speak."

"Fair enough." Judy said smiling a bit.

The two continued to dance and talk.

"Say Carrots, we know a lot about each other. But what's a secret that we don't know?" Nick asked. "Tell me one of your secrets and I'll share with you one of mine."

"Will you promise not to tell?" Judy asked Nick.

"Cross my heart." Nick said as he lets go of Judy's right paw to cross an X on the spot where his heart is with his left paw. He then went back to holding's paw.

"Alright then." Judy said agreeing to tell Nick one of her secrets. "When I was 5... I ate a whole jar of cookies and blamed it on my siblings."

"Haha! You really did that?" Nick asked not believe Judy would do something like that.

"Didn't help anyway. I got really sick and threw up." Judy admitted a bit embarrassed. "Once that happened, I was pretty much in trouble."

"I knew you had a sneaky side, but that takes the cake." Nick said smirking.

"Alright. Your turn." Judy said wanting to hear Nick's secret.

"Okay. Until I was 6, I... used to have a little baby blanket. I named it Nug-Nug." Nick told Judy. "Also I still have it somewhere in our attic."

"*giggles* Nug-Nug?" Judy said giggling some more.

"Hey! I was a cute little baby when I came up with that name." Nick stated. "Besides, Nug-Nug got me through tough times."

"That so?" Judy asked.

"Yeah. But since meeting you, those days are fall in the past." Nick said with a smile.

"Awww, Nick." Judy said feeling flattered. "You do the same for me."

"Just goes to show how great the two of us our." Nick said happily.

Nick then twirled Judy once as they continued to dance on. They were also started to get noticed by some of the other kids.

"Is that Nick Wilde dancing... with a bunny?"

"Is that bunny is date or something?"

"Who would guess a fox would be into a bunny."

The staring and chatting didn't go unnoticed.

"Nick, I think everyone's staring at us." Judy stated.

"Heh! Then let them stare." Nick said not bothered by it.

As Nick danced, he started humming to the song that the DJ was playing. For some reason, the song reminded him about something.

"You're humming up a storm." Judy stated.

"Oh. It's just that the song reminds me of something. Pop likes this kind of music and would often sing to it for my mom." Nick said.

"I didn't know your dad liked to sing." Judy said.

"Oh, my dad **loves** to sing." Nick said with a smile. "Sometimes he gets soooo sappy that he sings to mom. I'm always like ' _We get it. You two love each other._ '."

"Haha. Guess that's the way for most parents." Judy stated knowing it's the same for her parents.

"Pretty sure my folks are a bit up." Nick said. "I mean, just a few days ago, pop was singing this one song."

Nick then started to sing the same song his dad sang.

 _Baby,_

 _I like your moves._

 _Baby,_

 _We got a groove._

 _I don't know how,_

 _But I think it's true._

 _Baby, I'm might be falling_

 _for you._

Nick and Judy then stopped dancing and just glared at each others eyes. They must have took the last lyrics of song a bit of a serious. Serious, but true. Nick was falling for Judy... and Judy was falling for Nick.

Without even thinking, both Nick and Judy slowly leaned their heads close to each other. As they both close their eyes, it looked liked... it looked liked the two of them were about to kiss for real. Their friends reacted to this.

"OHMYGOODNESS! They're about to kiss!" Benji said looking overexcited.

"Right now?!" Mervin said a bit surprised.

"I'm about to win our bet." Finnick said smirking.

But as close as Nick and Judy's muzzles were to touching... the music stopped.

"Alright everyone, that brings us to the end of the dance." The DJ said. "So I hope you all enjoy this night and have a safe night."

With that said, Nick and Judy stopped and opened their eyes again. They immediately let go of each other and stepped back a bit.

"Heh... looks like he dance is over." Nick said as he scratches the back of his neck.

"Ye... yeah..." Judy said awkwardly.

"Oh come on!" Benji, Finnick, and Gazelle went from a distance.

So the two didn't kiss and it was the end of the dance. Since it was the end of the dance, all of the kids started heading home and their parents picked them up to take them home. Some kids still had to wait for their rides. This included Nick, Judy, and their friends. Nick and Judy walked down the stairs as they talked.

"That was a fun night." Judy said happily.

"Yeah. That night was perfect." Nick said.

Judy then looks up at the night sky. She sees the stars and that the moon was full tonight.

"Such a beautiful night." Judy said to Nick.

"Look at that moon. The wolves are gonna be howling at it tonight." Nick said making a joke. It was funny enough to make Judy laugh.

"Funny." Judy said.

There was some tension between the two of them. Their friends were still watching from a distance.

"Come on. One of you just say it already." Benji mumbled.

"Shhhhh!" Everyone else went to him. They didn't want to be noticed.

As they watched, Judy tugged at Nick's arm.

"Hey... it doesn't look like either of our parents are here yet." Judy said. "Wanna... sit down and talk for a bit?"

"Sure..." Nick said.

As the two sat down on the bottem stairs, they could both feel the tension at it's total peak. Both of them felt thought to themselves " _This is the moment. This is the moment I tell him/her._ ".

"Say Carrots.../Listen Nick, I..." Nick and Judy said with their words interlapping with each other. "Okay, you go first." They both said. The two of them then started laughing a bit.

"I'll go first, if that's okay." Nick said.

"Okay." Judy said.

Nick took a deep breathe and mustered all the bravery he had to speak with Judy.

"Judy, you have been the absolute best friend I could ever as for. I still don't know what my life would be if I have never met you. I always like what we have. But..." Nick said before pausing for a second. "... well, you know how everyone else jokes around about us being a couple or that we should just be boyfriend and girlfriend? I could help but start thinking..." Nick started to blush a bit. "... that wouldn't be so bad."

Judy's heart skipped a few beats as Nick said that.

"Judy, for the longest, I always had this weird feeling in my chest when I'm near you. It's a nice and warm feeling. But I only get it when I'm with you." Nick said before reaching for Judy's paw. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I _like_ you, Judy. A lot."

Nick finally did it. He finally told Nick how he felt to her. Judy was suprised to hear that, but was also happy to hear Nick said that.

"Wow..." Judy simply said.

"I... hope this doesn't change how you think about me." Nick said a bit worried that Judy didn't feel the same way. But his worries went away when Judy tightly held his paws.

"Nick..." Judy said as she looks at Nick's emerald eyes. "Remember when... I kissed you on the cheek? I told you it was just to make you feel better... but the truth is... I didn't know why I kissed you like was like... it just happened. Since then, I too get this warm feeling everytime I'm near you. I didn't really understand it. But now... I think I do. I think about you all the time. You are in so many entries in my journal. I want to see you for more than just one day." Judy then let go of Nick's paws and started to rub down on her left drooped down ear. "Guess what **I'm** trying to say is... I _like_ you too, Nick."

Now Judy admitted her feelings to Nick. Now the two both knew that they liked each other. They both looked happily at each other. But as happy as they were... something was off. They both could tell that.

"Judy, as happy as I am to hear you say that, I think we need to address the elephant in the room. So to speak." Nick said.

"Right... it's pretty obvious." Judy said starting to look a bit sad.

As much as Judy and Nick liked each other...

"We're different species." Judy stated.

"I know..." Nick said. "We're not just a fox and rabbit. We're a prey and a predator. We're only two completely different sides."

"Yeah. Our friends and family might be okay with it. But... you and I both know that most people in the world don't see it that way." Judy stated.

"We did get some stares. Not just from the kids, but the adults as well. And not the good kind of stares." Nick admitted.

"Ehhhhhhhh... why is it so hard?!" Judy shouted out as she covered her face with her paws. "If I was fox or your were a bunny, this would be a whole lot easier. But I don't... I don't want to ignore these feelings anymore."

"Neither do I." Nick said.

"Then what do we do?" Judy asked.

Nick didn't know how to answer that. The two of them just being together wasn't as simple as that. Even if Zootopia's Zootopia, it was still pretty much a two-sided city. Never one-sided. Nick then recalled something his father told him.

 _My boy, you are still young. You are just understanding these feelings._

 _You don't have to rush things. When the time is right, you can choose what you should do with your feelings._

With those words in mind, Nick knew what to say now.

"Judy, we... don't need to rush things." Nick said to her.

"What?" Judy said.

"We both know that we like each other. But... we should remember something else too. We're still kids. We're still young." Nick stated. "Before I met you, I was still on the whole 'Girls are icky' phase."

"Yeah? Well, I was still on the 'Boys have cooties' phase." Judy stated with a smirk.

"Pssh! Girls have the cooties. Not boys." Nick said firmly.

"Keep telling yourself that, Slick." Judy said with a sly look on her face. She then went to have a bit of a sad look on her face. "So... we're both crazy for us wanting to have something?"

"No. Far from it." Nick said. "It just goes to show how close we are."

"So... we're just gonna stay friends." Judy said looking sad.

"It's best... at least for now." Nick said honestly. "We'll just have to play the waiting game."

"What?" Judy said as her ears went back up.

"Judy, let's make a promise. When we are a bit older and we feel that the time is right, let's get together." Nick suggested. "Be it 1 year, 15, or even longer than that, if we feel that we see things through, then let's."

"Are you serious?" Judy asked still a bit surprised.

"Only if that's okay with you?" Nick asked Judy.

Nick didn't want his friendship to end with Judy, yet he still hoped one day they could actually be a couple. But only when they both feel that time was right. The question was, would Judy agree to these terms. The answer was obvious when she started to smile.

"Okay." Judy said happily. "We'll wait. But until then, we stay best friends."

"Best friends forever." Nick said happily.

The two then stood back up as they looked at each other.

"To the waiting game?" Nick asked.

"To the waiting game." Judy answered.

The two then did a sincere hug like they usually do. As their friends could see from a distance, they all figured out what that meant.

"Oh no. That's a 'Let's just be friends' hug if I've ever seen one." Mervin said.

"Awwwwwwww..." Everyone else went looking upset.

"Guess that means they won't be a couple." Benji said.

"It also means we all lose our bets." Finnick said looking peeved.

Nick then looked up and saw his parents car. It was time for him to get going.

"Well... there's my ride." Nick said as he let goes of Judy. "See you around?"

"Always." Judy answered with a smile.

As Nick began walking to his family's car, he stops for a moment with a big smile on his face. He then turns around and dashes to Judy.

"I feel like a dumb fox. I totally forgot to do something." Nick said to Judy.

"What's that?" Judy asked.

"This." Nick said.

He then closed his eyes, leaned down to Judy, and then kissed her. Like... actually kissed her. Muzzle to muzzle. Judy was caught completely off-guard by this. But accepted it and closed her eyes. Nick's parents and their friends were also shocked by this.

"Ohhhh! Our boy's first kiss." Frankie said surprised, but happy.

"Haha! No surprise here." John said joyfully.

"OMGOODNESS! It's happening!" Benji said happily.

"Ha! Nick kissed her! I win the bet." Finnick said happily.

"You know what, we don't care about that anymore." Ronnie said.

"We're just glad that this is happening." Audran said smiling.

"Me too. But I still want the money." Finnick said smirking.

"You and money..." Falisha said.

Nick and Judy's kiss then ended. Nick just had his usual sly grin on again.

"Just wanted to make sure I was first." Nick said to Judy.

Judy pretty much froze once the kiss was over. Nick then bowed like a proper gentlefox to Judy and walked back to his family's car. He got in and then the car drove off. Not too long after, Judy's family truck finally came. They hooked the horn calling Judy to get in. Judy then slowly walked to the truck and got in. Her dad then droved them off.

"So Judy, how was the dance?" Stu asked.

"Did you had fun?" Bonnie asked.

"Mom, can I ask you something?" Judy said to her mom.

"What is it, dear?" Bonnie asked.

"How do you know when you're in love?" Judy asked.

The second Judy said that made Stu almost lose control of the wheel.

"Ju... Judy, did you just say what I think you just said?" Bonnie asked.

"I did." Judy said with a big smile.

"Sweet cheese and checkers..." Stu mumbled.

That night was a night neither Nick and Judy will never forget. Their hearts have always been connected and they always will. Even if they are still just friends, who know what will happen in the future. Til then, they will enjoy things while they can. Enjoy thing... _while they're young_.

 **And that, my friends, is how it ends. But like I said, this isn't truly the end. Coming soon, the next arc will come out. The Teenagers Arc. But not for long while. Two or three months at best. I do have a lot of other stories to finish. But overall, I hope you all enjoyed this journey. If you got questions, you can always PM me. I always like to hear from fans and other writers.** **Again, I can not thank you all enough for make this story so popular with over 200,000 views. I hope that the sequel comes out, you will like it just as much. But until, this Dizzle HamHam Writer, signing out.**


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